WHAT IS THE HEAD LOUSE?
“Head lice cause no medical harm but lice causes an enormous amount of anxiety among parents and teachers at schools,” says Dr. Michael Cater. The louse is a small, parasitic animal that lives on the scalp and sucks on small amounts of blood from the host. A louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can cause intense itching. Lice are spread almost exclusively from head-to-head contact and lice infestations are common in schools worldwide, not just those in poor communities.
TREATING HEAD LICE
Call your pediatrician if your child is has a very itchy scalp that won’t go away, says Dr. Cater. The doctor will examine the scalp and look for a living louse, eggs on the hair shaft, or a nit, which is an empty egg casing. Daily hair brushings can reduce the number of living lice. A safe over-the-counter cream rinse called Nix is typically the recommended initial treatment, says Dr. Cater. “It’s very effective. It’s applied to damp hair that is first shampooed with a non-conditioning shampoo. You towel dry the hair and then apply it for 10 minutes and rinse it off. It kills the louse and the eggs.” The treatment is repeated in 7 to 10 days. Parents should also wash the child’s bed linens twice in hot water and wash all combs and brushes.
BY THE NUMBERS:
6-12 million
Estimated number of lice infestations that occur each year in the U.S. among children ages 3-11
4-6 weeks
Time it can take for itching to appear the first time a person gets head lice
30 days
Amount of time a louse can live on a human head
Dr. Cater completed his internship and residency training at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Cater is affiliated with the Orange County Medical Association, the California Medical Association and the American Board of Pediatrics. He is also on the Continuing Medical Education Committee of the local chapter (Chapter 4) of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Cater’s philosophy of care: “For me, medicine is a calling. Being a pediatrician allows me to participate in the lives of children by nurturing their physical health as well as their psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Guiding children along their path of life is my ultimate goal.”
EDUCATION:
Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS:
Pediatrics
Did you know that there’s an actual medical diagnosis for “academic underachievement?”
Dr. Michael W. Cater, a CHOC pediatrician, has made this diagnosis occasionally for young patients who have high potential but just don’t do well in school.
Dr. Cater places a high priority on encouraging patients to succeed in school. He says that’s just as important as having a good physical report.
A poor attitude is a hallmark of teenagers, a CHOC pediatric psychologist tells CHOC Radio.
Dr. Mery Taylor recently stopped by Seacrest Studios to talk about why teens often have bad attitudes, and what parents can do to mitigate the effects of a dour disposition. A teen’s bad attitude can be a product of self-absorption and egocentricity, Dr. Mery Taylor explains.
Teenagers are working to determine who they are and what they want to be. Thus, they are often uninterested in performing tasks and duties that will not directly benefit them.
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