You’ve most likely heard of the little critters that like to live (and eat) on human heads, especially of children. You’ve likely even heard of an outbreak in your own school, or of a friend who battled an infestation. It really isn’t a question of health – they’re more nuisance than serious risk, but none-the-less they are quite dreaded.

So your child has lice. What do you do? Toronto public health and the Canadian Pediatric society recommend two topical insecticides that have “very low toxicity to humans”, as well as a secondary choice of lindane for treatment that is “very neurotoxic to lice but also to humans”. While the insecticides may be slightly safer than lindane, they are still likely to have negative effects. Increase in allergies is one such effect, but there is no longer term study that conclusively finds them safe in human children. Another drawback is that the conventional treatments aren’t working as well now – the lice are becoming resistant.

My child’s school board policy require the use of “a specially medicated shampoo”. Before the return to school, I’m to “Notify the school that proper treatment has taken place BY RETURNING THE TOP PART OF THE ATTACHED FORM on the day your child returns to school, and the BOTTOM HALF after the second treatment has been given”. It requires at least two treatments!

Doesn’t that just seem wrong – Putting nasty chemicals on the heads of our young, precious, sensitive, growing children? Much of the chemical is absorbed transdermally through the scalp, and could have latent effects, not appearing for ten or fifteen years. At that time, the link back to the exposure will not be obvious.

As always, prevention is best. Teach your children not to share things, such as combs or hats, or pillows. Just like the social niceties of coughing in your sleeve, and washing your hands, this is the best advice. However, should you find yourself and your child with a lice-induced absence from school, you could (and I would) practice alternative medicine. It’s wonderful that Melaleuca oil (Tea tree oil) has been shown in clinical studies to help eradicate head lice. Repeated applications are not at all harmful to the child. One additional benefit is that regular use of Melaleuca oil helps to repel and thus prevent head lice in the first place.

That’s the route I’m going. Prevention with Melaleuca oil!

We’re all carrying about 500 foreign chemicals in our bodies – trace amounts hopefully, but not exactly a good thing.  Hippocrates stated that our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves.  We just need to give it what it needs, and try not to give it anything bad. 

One thing we can do is reduce our exposure to bad chemicals, such as biocides and pesticides.  This task may seem easier these days, since many municipalities have banned the cosmetic use of chemical pesticides, i.e. for yard and gardening applications.  Also, take a look at what homecare products you have in your house.  Typical household disinfectants contain benzyl ammonium chloride – a pesticide.  Even leading brands of air fresheners, carpet cleaners, laundry products, shampoo and cosmetics contain harmful chemicals. The corrosive symbol is a giveaway, but many proprietary chemicals don’t appear on the label, and aren’t so easy to spot.

Take a good look at the home and personal care products you use everyday.  Are you sure they are safe?

It’s amazing to consider how much we’ve all been exposed to pesticides.  These nasty compounds were developed by bright scientists during war time, and were found beneficial to farmers only since then – in the past 60 years.  Some, such as DDT, were banned once they were found to damage reproductivity of native bird species.  Others, such as PCBs or Dioxin, weren’t banned until humans living in areas of high concentrations were found to have an abnormally high rate of cancers.  Studies of fetal umbilical cord sampling found 287 chemicals present – some had even been banned years before.  These chemicals included carcinogens, neurotoxins, and developmental toxins.  Even before birth, we’ve been exposed to toxic chemicals.  It’s ironic that farmers are still using many banned chemicals – even in north america.  They are able to lobby the government for permission, citing that there are no alternatives, and their livelihood is at stake.  So, what can we do to protect ourselves?