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Let's face it, head lice is embarrassing! If your kid is sent home from school because the nurse found lice in their hair, it is not because you keep your home in a state of disrepair or disregard. Lice spreads like the plague amongst young children who play and learn close together, share toys, trade hats and have sleepovers. However, the phone call from the school secretary asking you to come pick up your kid because his scalp is unclean will always be a little awkward.
If over-the-counter lice medicine doesn’t work on your child’s bug-addled head, the pediatrician might prescribe a powerful pesticide to purge your lice problem. This pesticide may be lindane. The World Health Organization considers this chemical “moderately hazardous.” It is banned in over fifty countries. It is still legal through prescription in the US and Canada. Lindane can cause simple side effects such as rash, headache or dizziness. It is also known to cause seizures. People have even died from lindane exposure. The chemical is most dangerous for people who have preexisting medical conditions such as AIDS, liver problems, a history of seizures, brain tumors, psoriasis and head trauma. It is unsafe for the underweight and people on various medications. If there are broken sores on the head, lindane should not be used. In addition to all that, the chemical has been linked to cancer. What happens when you wash lindane down the drain? When lindane was used as an agricultural pesticide, it caused food chain contamination. That means the best case lindane scenario would be an unharmed human and slight environmental damage. Although your child may not wish to have their head shaven, it might be the safer choice.
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