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Study: Head Lice Becoming Resistant To Medication

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Jun 19, 2006 8:10 pm US/Eastern

Study: Head Lice Becoming Resistant To Medication

(CBS)

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For a child, head lice can be traumatic.

"It's like cooties, it's like that kind of thing," said New York student, Nicole Zurawin.

But for pediatricians, head lice are becoming worse than just cooties.

A new study out of the "Archives of Disease in Childhood" discovered lice are now becoming increasingly resistant to treatments. New York Pediatrician Richard Saphir says this growing resistance to pesticides is an act of nature, equivalent to survival of the fittest.

"Everybody tries to survive and the lice try to survive and find ways genetically that the medications that had previously been effective, are no longer effective," said Dr. Saphir.

The study found 80 percent of all head lice survived the most common over-the-counter treatments and prescription remedies.

The study focused on U.K. students, but Dr. Saphir says he's seen this resistant head lice in kids in our area.

"Part of the reason is that some of the medications that are used may not kill the eggs," said Dr. Saphir.

If your child does get anti-resistant lice, Dr. Saphir says, try medications with different chemicals. It's less likely head lice will be resistant to more than one ingredient.

And make sure you treat all bed sheets, even carpet with insecticides. And always keep a close eye on your child's hair, even after the lice appear to be killed.

"Don't look as much for the lice themselves, which are almost impossible to find, but look to find those little white nits or eggs that are attached to the hair shafts," said Dr. Saphir.

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