| By :
Eddie Prentice
Unfortunately children get a lot more from school then an education. With so many kids running around touching things and then touching one another germs can spread like wildfire and leave parents with a big mess to clean. Common colds and head lice are two types of infections often picked up at school. Here are some facts you might not have known: 1.Head lice are tiny wingless insects that are unable to jump, swim, or fly. 2.They are about 3mm long, have 6 legs and are brown in colour. 3.They are contracted from head to head contact. 4.The female head louse lays eggs in sacs called nits. 5.Nits hatch out 7-10 days after they are laid. 6.Head lice is most common in children between the ages of 4-11. 7.Mums, dads, even grandparents can get it too! 8.The lice can't survive off the scalp for long so it's unlikely you will catch them from clothes. 9.75% of parents have dealt with head lice at any one time, and a quarter have dealt with more than five infections 10.Washing with regular shampoo won't do a thing. The lice breathe through holes in their bodies called spiracles. While shampooing will cause them to close the holes temporarily, they will reopen them as soon as the washing is done. Special products are needed. Common colds: 1.Common colds are the number one reason kids have to go to the doctor or stay home from school. 2.Some kids can get up to 8 colds a year, and some even more! 3.Colds come from rhinoviruses which are formed in invisible droplets in the air, making them impossible to avoid. 4.With over 100 strands of rhinoviruses in existence our immune systems are easily worn down. 5.Despite what we may have been told, colds are not contracted from going outside without a jacket or with our hair wet. 6.Most colds are contagious 2-4 days after the first symptoms are felt, and can sometimes remain contagious for up to 3 weeks! 7.While there is no vaccine for common colds, there are preventative measures that can be taken. Making a habit of washing your hands all the time and remembering to cover your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze are a start. Regularly changing bath and hand towels and water bottles is a good safety precaution as well. Some things are simply unavoidable. But when there is the possibility of reducing risk we should take it. In the long run it means less headaches and hassles, and happier campers all around.
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