Parents Say No to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
American Journal of Nursing reports confusion among health professionals, while parents refuse to accept American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that allow children in school with lice and nits.
“A year after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) called on schools to
end no-nits policies … little has changed except the intensity of the debate…”
reported John O’Neil in the September 2, 2003 Science Section of the New York
Times.
The current issue of the American Journal of Nursing acknowledges
the continuing confusion and controversy over head lice among health care
professionals, -- but there is no debate among parents who do not want their
children infested, unnecessarily at risk of being infested, or “treated” with
pesticides.
And families are making their voices heard financially as
sales of pediculicides have declined significantly over the past several years –
15% in the last year alone.
Parents are better informed and no longer
willing to buy more of a product that failed to work the first time or, more
importantly, could negatively impact the health of their child.
In 2002,
the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published guidelines for clinicians
that recommended:
.pesticide treatments
·allowing children in school
with lice and nits,
.eliminating screening for head lice in
school.
According to the New York Times article AAP's Dr. Barbara
Frankowski, Chairman on School Health, says people get "hot and bothered"
because lice are "yucky."
Deborah Z. Altschuler, President of the
National Pediculosis Association (NPA)says, "It is presumptuous and unfair to
expect a public that spends billions of dollars annually on hair care products,
to look the other way when someone they are with, or they themselves are
infested with lice."
Many are disappointed and perplexed by AAP's
abandonment of traditional communicable disease prevention measures, and the
fact that AAP recommends potentially harmful treatments known to be ineffective
because of lice resistance.
For these and other reasons, their
guidelines have become suspect and a source of controversy among health
professionals.
However there is no confusion for the true experts -– the
parents -- who were first to identify and report lice resistance in the mid-'90s
and the first to unite against the AAP Guidelines. Parents apparently know and
want better.
So does John Smithkey, RN, BSN, a school nurse in Canton,
Ohio who disagrees with the AAP’s position against screening in school for lice
and nits. Smithkey says that school nurses screen for many important health
issues and do it effectively without disruption.
He states: “It is the
most economical and effective way to both find cases of head lice as well as
teach parents and students about this age old health problem in a positive
way.”
Angela Weathersbee of Sebastian, Florida was outraged when her
school district dropped their No Nit Policy as a result of the AAP
recommendation.
She united local parents and demanded that the school
committee rescind the change. Their grass-roots effort was successful with other
communities following the lead.
In a recent poll by a midwest NBC
television affiliate, over 85% of the parents responded that children should not
be allowed in school with lice and nits.
This September marks the 19th
Annual Back-to-School Head Lice Prevention Campaign. Sponsored by the National
Pediculosis Association, a non profit organization, the campaign is also known
as the “All Out Comb Out” which kicks off each school year with education and
awareness in advance of outbreaks.
Being informed along with enabled to
accomplish routine screening, early detection and manual removal of lice and
nits continues to be the best defense against head lice.
Reliance upon
ineffective or potentially harmful products keeps children infested, and forces
communities into a crisis mentality.
Each person brings unique health
risks to the treatment decision. The NPA knows of no chemical agent, natural or
otherwise that is 100% safe as well as effective against both lice and their
eggs. This makes thorough lice and nit removal crucial for effective lice
control.
Until independent scientific research documents a safe and
effective chemical agent for head lice treatment, the NPA will continue to
recommend its proactive approach.
Visit the NPA’s website www.headlice.org to find how
you can participate in the “All Out Comb Out” as well as find the NPA’s No Nit
Standard, Jesse’s Project and educational and easy-to-download information
helpful for parents and health professionals alike.
“Because it’s not
about lice, it’s about kids.”
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/9/prweb79163.htm