Did you know that keeping kids out of school because of head lice is based more on tradition than on science.
How So?
Let's say a boy in school is found to have lice. By the time anyone notices, he's probably had lice for at least a month. And he's been in school all the while.
OK, but maybe during that time he's spread lice to other kids.
Probably not. Lice don't jump or fly.
Spreading Lice
They spread only by head to head contact and by sharing hats and combs. So the most common places for kids to get lice are during a sleepover or just messing around with friends after school.
As long as students are careful not to trade hats and combs, the classroom is actually one place where a kid is unlikely to catch lice.
But if that's true, why do schools still keep kids away when they have lice?
