Word: scalping
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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Umair Choudhry, 10, steps off a yellow school bus in Chicago wearing a helmet, mittens and a mouth guard. He's dressed for protection--not from the elements or schoolyard bullies but from himself. He has bitten his arms in the past and scarred his scalp by tearing out his hair. In his native Pakistan, his relatives think he is possessed by demons. "They said an evil spirit was making him hurt himself," says his mother Farah Choudhry. In the U.S., his affliction is known as autism...
September usually sees a bump in the reported cases of head lice as kids go back to school. Despite the common misconception that lice can leap tall buildings, like fleas, they're actually crablike crawlers, moving from scalp to scalp. Though lice don't usually transmit disease, they can cause a lot of discomfort, embarrassment and missed school days, so parents should deal with head lice the moment they become aware of an infestation...
...worst thing a parent can do when a child becomes infested is freak out. The best thing is be methodical. Deal with the child's scalp first, then launder sheets, pillowcases and towels, using high heat to dry. There is usually no need to dispose of clothes, stuffed animals, etc. Lice can live only about a day outside a scalp, so if the scalp is louse free, chances are the environment will be too. Unfortunately, any nits that remain can reinfect a child in a matter of days. Thus the importance of careful nitpicking (more on that later...
...rinse or Rid shampoo. These are helpful, but parents must follow the directions carefully and reapply the treatment after the prescribed number of days. Also, some lice seem resistant to the insecticides used in these products, so there's no substitute for checking and re-checking your child's scalp...
...tiny gray pearls cemented to the hair shaft near the root. The only sure way to get rid of lice and their eggs is pore over the hair, starting with a good nit comb. Wet the hair, divide it into many sections, and then methodically comb from the scalp outward. Make sure the child is sitting in a brightly lighted area, preferably in front of a good long video...