Category Archives: Children

Boogie Wipes: To Wipe out Kiddo Cold and Flu Germs

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Knowing that I am both a nurse and a mom, the folks over at Boogie Wipes® sent me some samples to use with my little one, which is awesome because I actually already used Boogie Wipes for her, and now I was just able to stock her diaper bag with all of their goodies we could take them on the road, but I also get to share how they can help keep your child healthy also.

Boogie WipesWinter is always a time when we are indoors more because it’s cold (especially for those of us who live on the East Coast) breathing in re-circulated air, which put us at a higher risk for contracting the common cold and flu viruses…and spreading them to others. And just like for adults, there are some pretty easy and key tips for trying to keep our babies as germ free as possible too. We had a cold ravage our house recently, but miraculously, the baby didn’t get more than a few sniffles, and I have to thank breast milk and Boogie Wipes for that! I know that the power of antibodies in breast milk rather speaks for itself, but why Boogie Wipes? Boogie Wipes are not only wipes for stuffy and crusty little noses, that helps to gently soften and dissolve the boogies away with a gentle normal saline infusion and fresh scent, but there is also Boogie Mist, a gentle saline mist that can be spritzed up the nose to help break up and soften mucous crusts in the nose, and also dissolve it. Boogie Mist can help to keep nasal passages moist and yet clear of mucous (boogies) to prevent post nasal drip, which is one of the leading causes dry coughs in the winter. And for my little girl, it gave me piece of mind that her nasal airways were free and clear so she could suck on her pacifier to soothe herself to sleep, feed without breathing issues, and she would be able to breathe freely and sleep all night, so she could fight off any bugs. The fresh scent of the Boogie Wipes (there is also a grape scent) made it more enjoyable for my baby, who actually liked getting the little spritz up her nose, and she loves the wipes as well, and knows them by scent…I get a big smile when the Boogie Wipes come out, as opposed to a head turned to the side!

Even if you don’t have any illnesses spreading through your home, the use of Boogie Wipes and Boogie Mist can help to prevent colds and illnesses and keep your child healthy. Boogies in the nose, are one of the bodies first line of defense in preventing viruses into the body, and by wiping them off and dissolving them away, we are assisting our children in gently removing the risk of a virus right at the source before it has a chance to infect. Also, if a stuffy nose is keeping your small child from breathing properly at night, they will not sleep well, and that is a benefit to no one (and I am sure a crabby baby is the last thing anyone wants, if you can prevent it!) so Boogie Mist can help to open up those nasal passages and allow for improved breathing. Plus, normal saline is so gentle on the skin, that it has no negative side effects, it is one of the most gentle substances you can put in or in your body.

Also, one of the hardest (near impossible) way to prevent colds is keeping your kids hands away from their mouths and keeping them clean (and I am saying that as the mother of a 6 month-old who is teething and shoving everything she sees in her mouth). It is inevitable that kids will be kids and they explore with their hands by touching things, and that stuff always seems to make it to their face to rub something (an eye, nose, mouth). One great way for a quick clean, especially if you don’t want to put an alcohol based cleaner on your childs hands, is to use a Boogie Wipe, as it is infused with normal saline, which won’t damage the skin, and is safe for them to then put into their mouths: it’s a win/win!

Between the safeness, effectiveness, and the great scents that my baby loves, I think that every mom should stock up on Boogie Wipes and Boogie Mist to try to ward off those nasty winter bugs!

Yours in Good Health,

 

Placenta Pills: Do they live up to the hype?

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Mostly I tackle topics from my readers (and I promise that I am going to start on those ASAP!) but I had a little experiment I was running myself that I wanted to share with you all. Eight weeks ago I had my amazingly beautiful baby girl, and in preparing for her birth, our new life together, I wanted to make sure that I was as ready as I could be for the challenges I was about to face, both mentally and physically. One of my biggest fears was postpartum depression, I have no idea why because I was not really at risk, but I wanted to limit my risks and ensure that the three months of maternity leave with my baby girl were the best possible three months for all of us, so I looked into taking placenta pills. It sounds gross, but it was one of the best decisions I made for post birth planning.

What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression effects around 11-20% of women annually (its around 600,000 in the US alone). It’s normal to have some mild symptoms of feeling sad, anxious, and mood swings after giving birth because you have so many hormonal changes going on in your body once that baby comes out, and it should stabilize in a few days to week or so after birth. Postpartum depression lasts longer than two weeks and can have more extreme symptoms of: severe mood swings, severe anxiety (anxiety attacks), excessive crying, inability to bond with your baby, inability to sleep, lack of eating, irritability and anger, feelings of worthlessness, a lack of enjoyment in activities you used to like, and more severely thoughts of harming yourself, your baby, or suicide. If you ever have any thoughts of harming yourself, your baby, or others, please call your local emergency services immediately (911 in the US). These symptoms can last a few months, and even longer.

Can anything increase my risk?

Unfortunately, because of a lack of sleep during labor (possibly) and after having the baby, along with hormone changes, every woman has a risk of falling prey to postpartum depression. There are a few factors that may increase your risk of postpartum depression such as:

– Family/personal history of depression

– Previous postpartum depression

– Stressful events during pregnancy: illness, loss of job, change in relationship, or pregnancy complications

– Health problems with your newborn (including colic)

– Difficulty breastfeeding

– Lack of support from partner/friends/family postpartum

How can I prevent it?

Having a baby is not easy, and it is an amazing experience, but you need support of others to help support you, and if you don’t have that support to keep you and your baby healthy, you can easily fall into a depression. Being aware of the signs of depression, as well as having supporters that are also aware of your needs and the signs of postpartum depression is key. Sometimes you need to just get a few minutes to yourself or nap, and it can make you feel like a new person, so having someone who can help you to get you some time alone, when you know your baby is safe and being cared for, is key. But there is another thing you can try: placenta pills.

What are Placenta Pills?

Placenta pills (encapsulation) are a bit controversial in the medical world, but animals, tribeswomen, and now celebrities alike all eat their placenta in some form. The placenta is the organ that forms for your baby to live and grow inside of your uterus, and it is delivered after the baby. The placenta is filled with your own hormones, iron, and other nutrients, so ingesting it help to gently lower your oxytocin hormone levels, thus decreasing the risk of postpartum depression, mood swings, and insomnia related to abrupt hormone changes, and it can even release a hormone that helps to reduce stress. Placenta pills can also help to increase your energy levels and increase breast milk quantity by supplying optimal nutrients to support it, including replacing your iron lost through the birthing process. You can eat your placenta raw, cooked, or encapsulated in pill form; whichever makes you most comfortable.

What’s the science?

So, there really is no research to support placenta pills either as beneficial or detrimental to your health. As a practice throughout the animal kingdom and since the beginning of man, essentially, which is still practiced in rural tribes throughout the world, it truly cannot seem harmful and I felt that it could only be helpful.Placenta Pills

My experience: I worked with Kristin Lynch of Placenta Therapeutics to help encapsulate my placenta. We discussed various options for the encapsulation process (the placenta can be encapsulated raw or steamed) and the benefits of each process, and she helped to walk me through it, along with the dose of the pills. I had her make half raw and half steamed pills, so that I could slowly wean down my hormone levels to normal. Once I got over the fact that I was ingesting one of my own organs, the results were amazing: I had absolutely no signs of postpartum depression, my milk came in right away (and I have actually been an over producer of milk), I’ve had energy (much more than other postpartum women that I have seen), and my sleeping has been great (I admit it helps that my baby is a fabulous little sleeper and eater). I truly believe that the placenta pills helped to calm me and stabilize my hormones throughout this postpartum time; I normally react to my own hormonal changes (I get very crabby monthly) but I really had minimal, if any, changes/reactions after giving birth. Kristin was amazing and checked in on me to make sure I was feeling well and she was available to answer any questions I had, but there were no issues, the pills were a complete success.

I would highly recommend anyone to try the encapsulation, especially if you have had issues with postpartum depression previously, or if you are at risk, to try to prevent it. It cannot harm you, as long as you handle the placenta appropriately (if you have certain infections, or an abnormal placenta you might not be able to use it for encapsulation). If you are in the greater MA area, I highly suggest Kristin Lynch at Placenta Therapeutics (I was in no way given any goods/services for free, I just really think she is amazing), but look here for encapsulation services by reputable services (i.e. they follow blood-born pathogen protocols and ensure that your placenta isn’t exposed to anything infectious!)

Yours in good health

B

 

 

Get Your Kids the Damn Flu shot….

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Whether you ‘believe’ in flu vaccinations or not, as long as you are informed to the risks and benefits of using vaccines, as an adult, that is totally your choice to not get them. However, when it comes to your children, really learn the risks of not vaccinating your children…the flu is more serious than most people think, it can be devastating to a child, and you cannot keep them in a bubble of protection forever. You can do whatever you want for yourself, but arm your child with the protection their immune system needs to ward off the flu this season.

Check out the rest of Nurse Bridgid’s post on ScaryMommy.com

Yours in Good Health!

FluShot

The Scoop on Birth Control Options

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Whether you are thinking about trying for the first time, or wanting to spread out when you have babies, you need to know your birth control options! Check out Nurse Bridgid discussing your options from Natural Family Planning to the Pill at ScaryMommy.com

Yours in Good Health

B

Enterovirus Outbreak: What signs to watch for with your children

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There have been quite a few news stories out there about the “mysterious” respiratory virus that has been found in 10 different states and has spread quickly to infect hundreds of children. The virus has caused these children to get very sick very quickly and many have required hospitalization for treatment. This virus has come out of nowhere and is spreading rapidly, considering the time of year (during the winter this kind of outbreak would be more expected due to staying indoors, sharing items in school, etc.) What is the scoop on this virus and how concerned should you be for your children? Let’s not listen to the hype and break it down!

enterovirus- SMChealth.orgThe virus causing this outbreak:

The virus causing these children in 10 different states to have cold like symptoms leading to respiratory distress is known as the enterovirus D68.  Enteroviruses are very common viruses that either have very mild symptoms (runny nose, stuffy nose, foggy head, etc.) or no symptoms at all. This strain of the virus is rare, historically, either because people don’t seek treatment and get diagnosed, or because the symptoms aren’t as severe (so we never hear about it.)

Symptoms to look for:

As I said earlier, an infection can have very mild cold symptoms, but the major difference between the other strains of enterovirus and D68 is that D68 causes respiratory issues. Most often children (as opposed to adults) are infected with D68 and they have may or may not have a fever, but they will have heavy wheezing, cough, and commonly complain of having trouble breathing. Essentially, children who do not have asthma show signs of asthma, and it happens quickly: blue lips, rapid breathing, anxiety, and respiratory distress (when they really aren’t passing air.) Respiratory distress is a medical emergency and is really scary to see happen; call 911 immediately because your child may need assistance breathing quickly, and the faster they are in expert hands, the better.

Prevention and Treatment

The bummer about viruses is there is no treatment, so antibiotics won’t do a thing, only time (and it usually lasts a week.) Teach common cold prevention to your kids. Washing hands after using the bathroom and before eating is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of viruses, as well as limiting touching their mouths/face without washing first (or using hand sanitizer.) Also, teaching them to cough into their elbow, to cover their mouth, and to speak up if other children are coughing to ask them to cover their mouths (I ask adults to cover their mouths in public all the time…or I run away with a horrified look on my face, which you probably shouldn’t tell your kids to do.) At home, you can clean surfaces with a bleach (or alternative) when the kids are sick to prevent the spread of the virus, and keep your kids home when they aren’t feeling well, even if it seems like a light call (no fever or anything you can put your finger on but they seem run down) because a day of rest can help the immune system to recharge and kill of some nasty bacteria.

One other thing that you can do, and I know this is controversial to many people, is get your kids vaccinated for the flu. If you can help ward off that big virus, you can help to keep their immune system strong all fall, winter, spring, and most healthcare practitioners will have the vaccine available in the end of September.

Most at risk:

Children with asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases and autoimmune disorders really need to be watched closely, and any signs of respiratory decline should be seen ASAP.

How worried should I be?

I don’t like to be an alarmist, and you know your child better than anyone else. If this virus is found at your school or in your town, be a little more wary of looking for symptoms and keeping an ear peeled for someone who may be infected on your kid’s team, in their class, or in their group of friends. If you know it is around, you will pay more attention to the symptoms…because not every cold or runny nose will lead to a hospital visit. Knowledge, and being protective momma bear, can go a long way!

Yours in Good Health

B

Infertility Survival Guide

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You decide to take the plunge and make a baby….it goes from excitement to a chore, and still no baby?!? Once you see an infertility specialist, the real fun begins (insert sarcastic face here!) Going through infertility treatment can be a long and emotionally charged journey, so there are a few things to be prepared for: – See more at:  ScaryMommy.com

infertility blog SM

Yours in Good Health

B

 

Tick Repellents for Humans and Dogs: Made at Home!

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After writing about Lyme Disease and the transmission, I thought that I should also share some alternative tick repellents that you can make at home that are chemical free, as opposed to those that are costly, based off of chemicals, and can be ruin your clothes….and get all over the house (especially with pets!!) Here are a few tick repellents that you can make at home, and these primarily are for ticks and may/may not prevent against fleas and mosquitos, but so worth the few minutes it will take you to make them to ward off nasty ticks! These can be used on their own (a few drops between your dogs shoulder blades and at the base of the tail can ward off ticks for the days adventure, and a few drops around your ankles, inside your wrists, and behind your ears, will not only smell good but can prevent those nasty ticks from hopping onto you and biting your skin) OR mixed and placed in a spray bottle with 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water and add about 20 drops of these oils:

1. Rose Geranium Oil: a natural tick repellent, do not use on cats, but dogs and humans can have at it!

2. Eucalyptus Oil: relaxing and refreshing, eucalyptus oil can also naturally ward off ticks and fleas.

3. Peppermint and Citrus Oils: When mixed together, it gives off a very clean but intense scent that can ward off ticks. TickRepellent

These oils mixed with the vinegar/water solution can be sprayed on hair, clothes, and skin, of humans (adults and children alike) to repel ticks and can be reapplied liberally.  You can also spray on your dogs, I would check with a vet before using any of these on pregnant animals (I am obviously an animal lover but it’s not my area of expertise!) The oil and essential oils cut the vinegar smell for us, but the ticks can still smell it and they will be repelled. You can also add the essential oils just to an oil base (almond or olive oil) but there is a risk that you can ruin clothes, so stick to just spraying your hair and skin (and beware of nut allergies with children- so if you use on your animals, make sure to warn people before letting their children pet your animals!)

Give it a try, it is way better than putting chemicals all over your family, and furry family members too!

Yours in Good Health

B

Lyme Disease: What you need to know

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Lyme disease is a bacteria infection, Borrelia burgdorferi, which commonly spread through bites from tiny ticks, most commonly the deer tick in North America and Europe, as the deer ticks.  Living in areas with lots of tall grasses and woods puts you at high risk, even if those areas are by the ocean; many times people feel like ticks cannot live near the ocean…but they can, so you need to be careful even in tall marsh grasses. If caught early enough, lyme disease symptoms can be reversible, but it’s all about knowing the signs and symptoms, prevention, and early treatment that are key.

What are the signs of Lyme Disease?

Just like any other disease, unfortunately, sometimes the initial symptoms are completely silent, meaning many people don’t know they have been infected with the bacteria for a while. Immediately after a tick bite, you can see a red bump where you were bitten, and sometimes, over the next few days, redness spreads to look like a bull’s eye, but the deer tick usually needs to be attacked for 36-48 hours to spread Lyme Disease. When I was 21, I had a tick bite that was the classic bulls eye…and that was the only reason I went in for treatment! A few days after the bite and the infection starts to spread, you may feel some flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, body aches) that can go away.

a tick embedded with classic bulls eye rash

a tick embedded with classic bulls eye rash

Later on in the disease, you can get joint pain and swelling, without any other symptoms. Or, you can start to have some neurological symptoms such as numbness or weakness in  your arms and/or legs, a temporary paralysis of one side of your face (known as Bell’s palsy- which can be mistaken for a stroke.) You might also notice that you have extreme fatigue, a fast and/or irregular heart rate, redness/inflammation of your eyes, and you may be told that you liver enzymes are elevated from a hepatitis syndrome.

If you live in a heavily wooded area or around high grasses, and have any of these symptoms, even if they come and go, you should be seen by a Healthcare Practitioner (HCP.)

What is the treatment?

The good news is that Lyme disease is very easily treated, IF caught early, and usually a 14-21 day course of antibiotics can kill off the lyme bacteria and reverse all symptoms. Usually doxycycline or amoxicillin are used as the first line antibiotics; they are cheap and tolerated by most people when taken on a full stomach, however the doxycycline can cause pretty severe reactions in the sun, so stay out of the sun as much as possible during treatment! If you do not respond to oral drugs, you may have to go on a course of intravenous (IV) infusion drugs to get higher levels of antibiotics available to kill off the bacteria. IV antibiotics can be much more difficult to tolerate, as the side effects are stronger, and you have to be under the supervision of an HCP during treatment to ensure that your blood levels are stable.

There is alternative IV treatment with a drug called bismacine, however it is not supported by the FDA and can cause bismuth poisoning, as it has high levels of metals present which can cause liver and kidney dysfunction.

How do I prevent tick bites?

1. Wear long sleeves and long pants when in heavily wooded areas: I know, just what you want to do in the summer, but it prevents those ticks from latching onto your skin and biting you!

2. Insect repellent: yes, some people have issues with using chemicals (check out some alternative to chemical repellents!!)  however, they can be effective! Repellents with at least 20% DEET should be applied, according to directions, to adults and children alike (avoiding hands, face, and mouth!)

3. Check yourself and your children/animals regularly: When outside a lot, children and animals can play anywhere…and so can ticks, so make sure to check them and remove ticks with tweezers, right behind the head, and firmly pull off the skin, making sure that you have removed the entire tick, and then destroy it. (Sorry, I don’t mean to be harsh, but if it’s a ticks life over mine or my dogs, sorry tick!)

If you are worried you or a family member have been exposed, it is best to go get checked out and while the blood tests for Lyme are not always reliable, it is better to be treated early than to wait until you may have more exaggerated symptoms. Prevention is key when it comes to Lyme so be proactive for you and your family and stop Lyme Disease before to even starts!

Yours in Good Health

B

You Don’t Believe in Vaccinations?

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Measles outbreaks have been on the rise, after the virus was nearly eradicated in the United States, in 2000. Mostly these infections are on the rise because of people choosing not to give vaccinations to their children, for whatever reason. Measles is a very serious virus, and it is most dangerous to children under the age of 5, and as more and more children have been vaccinated worldwide, the rate of death from measles dropped off, but it is now becoming more of a threat. Regardless of the reason/s that you don’t think that you should get vaccinations, you cannot deny that denying vaccinations not only puts your child at risk, but others as well, and measles outbreaks are becoming more and more frequent.

What are Measles?

The measles are a virus, also known as rubeola, that usually has four stages, over a course of two to three weeks, and with varying symptoms from first exposure (which occur over 7 to 14 days) such as: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, pink eye (inflamed eyes), tiny white spots with bluish centers in the corners of the inside of the cheeks (AKA Koplik spots), and a large blotchy skin rash.

The three stages:

1. Incubation Period: from 7 to 14 days after first exposure, you may have no symptoms at all, as you have been exposed and the virus is just starting to take shape.

2. Early Symptomatic Phase: You start to develop some generalized symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose. You might think that you have a regular cold at this point, unless you happen to notice Koplik spots.

3. Acute infection: after 3 days of the generalized symptoms, a red bumpy and blotchy rash will start on the face and around the ears to the hairline, which will spread down to the neck, chest abdomen, then to arms and legs.  At the same time as the rash is spreading, an intense fever to 104F-105F will also occur. This phase can last for about a week.

diseases.net

diseases.net

4. Infectious State: you may not feel sick or that you have the measles 4 days before you see a rash, but that is when you are able to spread the virus to others, and you remain infectious to others for up to 4 to 7 days AFTER the rash has completely gone away. It is easily spread from person to person through coughing, touching mucus in any form (sneeze droplets, etc.), and from inhaling the exhalation from an infected person. The virus can stay alive on a surface for several hours and can infect a person through rubbing eyes, nose and/or mouth.

Why is it so serious?

There are some complications that can occur, which can lead to long-term health issues or lead to death: bacterial ear infections, swelling of the brain (encephalitis), bronchitis, pneumonia, and can lead to serious complications in pregnant women. Some of these can be very hard to treat due to the concurrent infection, but encephalitis can be very serious leading to death if the brain swelling is uncontrolled, and the complications with pregnancy can be very severe for the fetus.

The up-side:

If you have not been vaccinated, and find out that you have been exposed, within 3 days of exposure, you can receive the measles vaccine, and if you do get the symptoms of the virus, they are very mild and there is less of a risk of the other complications. Usually when these outbreaks occur, the sources are quickly located and the news and other sources are very good about getting the word out about possible exposures, so if you think you have been exposed, get vaccinated.

You don’t have to get vaccinated, but if you do end up getting infected, the risk of transferring the virus to others is very high, and the exposure to small children and those who may be immune suppressed due to cancer, medical treatments, or older age, can be deadly. As a favor to yourself, and to those around you, no matter what your beliefs are, think about getting the vaccine, and vaccinating your children, it could be the difference between life or death.

Yours in Good Health

B

 

The Ultimate Intruder: Head Lice

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Head lice invade over one million scalps per year, most of which tend to be kindergarten and early school age children, and quickly invade the rest of the family! There are many myths out there, like a lice infestation means you are unhygienic, but that actually isn’t true.  The wingless, tiny parasites that live on your scalp and the blood source to your scalp, actually prefer a cleaner home, and is spread by close contact and sharing clothes (hats) and other personal items (towels, brushes, etc.) The official name is pediculosis capitis, and there are some ways to prevent your little ones from bringing home this infection, and what to do when they do bring it home!

The Symptoms of Lice:

Usually an intensely itchy scalp is the first sign of lice, but you also might notice red itchy bumps on your head and neck. When the lice bite into your scalp to get the blood to feed off of, it can cause a small allergic reaction, which leads to the bumps and itchiness.  Also, when the lice lay eggs, people notice a increase in “dandruff” which is usually little yellow lice eggs that line the hair shafts. Adult lice tend to cause more itching around the back of the ears and neckline. And although you might see the eggs on the hair shafts,  that is not enough to truly diagnose the infection, but if you do have a lice infection, the way to truly diagnose is to visualize lice moving on the scalp.

What are some Treatments?

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should try an Over-the-Counter (OTC) treatment shampoo, to try and kill off the parasites early. The OTC shampoos either have pyrethrin (like Rid) or permethrin (like Nix). If that does not work, you can call your Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) to prescribe a stronger treatment.

Malathion (Ovide) is a medication that should only be used on people older than 6 years old, rubbed into the hair and scalp, but it is highly flammable! Benzyl alcohol lotion, is also applied the same way as the malathion, and is a newer treatment that cannot be used on those less than 6 months old, and even in adults, the FDA does warn of risk of seizures and other pretty serious side effects. As with any treatment, make sure that your HCP is aware if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as some of the drugs are absorbed into the skin and can be excreted in breast milk.

If you are worried about absorbing the chemicals, you can also just wet your hair, and comb it, using a fine tooth comb, every 3 days for 3 to four weeks, which allows you to remove the lice and eggs, and this is the best method with really young children. It obviously takes longer to get rid of the infestation, but it does so without chemicals, and could be an option for those wary of chemical use. As lice can live for up to around two days without a food source, and nits (the eggs) need to live at scalp temperature, combing the bugs and lice out can help to stop the parasites from further breeding.

Also, this won’t work for girls, but young boys, you can cut their hair short (as long as they aren’t opposed) to help remove the lice and nits!  One of my good friends (who happens to also be an RN) JUST had this lovely experience, and was nice enough to send along the pics of their experience:

with hair.....

with hair…..

 

without hair...and getting the combing treatment!

without hair…and getting the combing treatment!

How do I prevent the spread in my home?

Heat and lack of food sources help to end the infestation in your home: 

-Wash all clothes, sheets, towels, etc in hot water (at least 130F/54.4C) and dry on high for a minimum of 20 minutes.

-Brushes, combs, hair care products should be soaked in very hot water for at least 10 minutes (make sure to use insulated gloves to protect yourself from burns!)

-All comforters, pillows, bedding, and other items that are tough to wash, should be placed in air tight bags for 3-4 days to cut off air supply to the parasites and kill them and the nits.

-Vacuum all rugs and couches to remove any possible lice or nits

Also, remind your children not to share hats or scarves, helmets (if playing sports), or any brushes or other hair care products. This can’t always be avoided, and kids will be kids, but it is a good reminder to help and prevent an infection. And remember to tell them, if they do get lice, that it doesn’t mean they are unclean or dirty, but it is something that happens to many people, and with some quick treatments, a lot of laundry, and some parental strife, all will be back to normal soon!  Plus, tell your child’s school nurse, coaches, etc to make sure that the infection isn’t spread and other parents know to look for symptoms.

Yours in Good Health

B