t is something that every child dreads - the discovery that they have nits and the chemical treatments and vigorous combing regime that follows.
Research, published in the British Medical Journal, might now help parents decide which treatment is best, sparing youngsters from a double dose of hair-related torture.
The researchers found that a method of fine-combing wet hair using a special "bug- busting" kit was more effective than over-the-counter chemical treatments to combat head lice. Head lice are parasites that usually infect the scalps of children, quickly spreading around schools and playgroups.
The treatments available to parents trying to rid their youngsters of the unwanted visitors include insecticide products and a very fine-toothed comb in the Bug Buster Kit. But chemical resistance has meant insecticide products are not always effective, while the wet-combing technique is unproved as a treatment.
The researchers, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, studied 126 young people infested with head lice. Of these, 56 were asked to use the Bug Buster combing kit, while 70 used insecticide treatments. The presence of head lice was then assessed after treatment was completed.
The researchers found that the fine-combing kit was four times more effective than chemical products in eliminating head lice - a 57% cure rate compared with 13%.
Link... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1797
Research, published in the British Medical Journal, might now help parents decide which treatment is best, sparing youngsters from a double dose of hair-related torture.
The researchers found that a method of fine-combing wet hair using a special "bug- busting" kit was more effective than over-the-counter chemical treatments to combat head lice. Head lice are parasites that usually infect the scalps of children, quickly spreading around schools and playgroups.
The treatments available to parents trying to rid their youngsters of the unwanted visitors include insecticide products and a very fine-toothed comb in the Bug Buster Kit. But chemical resistance has meant insecticide products are not always effective, while the wet-combing technique is unproved as a treatment.
The researchers, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, studied 126 young people infested with head lice. Of these, 56 were asked to use the Bug Buster combing kit, while 70 used insecticide treatments. The presence of head lice was then assessed after treatment was completed.
The researchers found that the fine-combing kit was four times more effective than chemical products in eliminating head lice - a 57% cure rate compared with 13%.
Link... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1797
