I found head lice nits on my childrens hair

sandytsang

Damn...I just found many of those small head lice nits on my daughter and son's hair.

I start to hate this place. My three children have been sick for many months, one by one, again and again, fever, cough, stomach problem. We went to Apollo twice, but only got some fever and cold medicines, that's all.

I really would like to go home.

gautam

For kids, use mediker or selsun shampoo. Clinic All clear ice cool also works.

Generally, use bisleri / filtered water.

Dont worry, everything would ease out soon.

__________________

"Your thoughts could be your prison"

My pics on flickr

Kerela backwaters - by beach

sandytsang

What is Clinic All clear ice cool? where to buy mediker or selsun shampoo? My son is 4 years old, and my girl is 5 and half, can they use those sampoo?

I think I really need to change the water, we are using now Parrys water.

the opoponax

I know this doesn't help, but children everywhere get lice.

It is not only possible, but virtually guaranteed, that your children would face round after round of colds, stomach viruses, earaches, sore throats, etc. etc. growing up almost anywhere. Kids get sick. It happens.

That said, it's so much easier when it happens in a place you are comfortable in.

gautam

Mediker and selsun can be purchased from any medicine shop. Ask the chemist if it would be good for 4yr old kid. He may suggest an alternate. There is one more shampoo which i dont remember the name now.

True, Very true

crvlvr

Until your children's immune system adapts to the Indian environment, I have a couple of suggestions:

1. Boil your water, even if it bottled
2. Don't drink anything but that boiled water
3. Eat only thoroughly cooked food -- refrain from eating out
4. Reduce/eliminate sugar/ foods with sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system temporarily.

sandytsang

Thank you guys.

I do know kids get sick anywhere, but this is too much for me, everyday we have at least one sick child for these 4 months, even my husband has been sick many times. Only I am healthy. They were never like that when were in Finland, only happen maybe twice a year.

Maybe we just bad luck or we don't fit in this place.

dhans

Hi Sandytsang,

As the regular IM-ers may know we moved to Belgium in january 2005 and back again to the Netherlands in the summer of this year.

You might think what could go wrong in Western Europe, but our kids got ill a lot during the first half year. We heard from other expats this happens a lot, as the kids have to get used to the strange virusses they encounter in their new environment. And yes, they did get lice also in Belgium. It went much better after the first six months. Moving back to Holland this year the same thing happened again, with all kind of shorter and longer undefinable illnesses.

You do have our sympathy, but chances are they will grow over it, whereby I realise it must be (much) worse living as an expat in India.

Hold on and try to enjoy the good things of India!

Hans

__________________

Tips for trips to India with (young) children: India with kids
Stories about our travels in India: Journal

sandytsang

crvlvr, thank you. I didn't know sugar weakens the immune system, we do use sugar a lot. So is that mean no candy and chocolate too? I will boil the water from tomorrow.

ScarletLSG

Sandytsang,

Hang in there. Lice is a normal occurence for children everywhere. Both of my girls brought it home from a very expensive private school here in the U.S. Go to the chemist/drugstore and ask them for the shampoo. They are old enough ... but it might irritate their skin, so be aware of that. BEFORE you shampoo them, put all of their sheets, blankets and bedding into plastic bags. You also need to wash their soft toys and if you have carpets get them cleaned also.

Lice WILL return if you don't deal with it properly the first time through!!

Best wishes.

ScarletLSG

Nick-H

Sandy, I'm really sorry to hear that you are having a bad time.

I've had lice in my hair twice in my life: once when I was a not-so-clean hippy sleeping with not-so-clean people in a not-so-clean house when I was about 20 (yes, us English are masters of understatement: it was a dump and a, thankfully, short period of my life) --- and once here in Chennai.

It is possible to deal with lice without chemicals: you need a fine-tooth comb, and you have to shampoo and thoroughly comb the hair, when wet, every day for a week or two. I'm sure Google will help find the details.

But the chemical shampoos are sure and swift.

It is better to treat the whole family at the same time, and make sure that sheets, pillow cases, towels are laundered on the same day. Otherwise it can just become a cycle of re-infection.

I haven't a clue how I caught my lice here; I hadn't been out for tow days, but my wife noticed two creatures in my hair, removed them, and magnifying glass made a positive id. As far as we know she didn't have any, but we both used the medicated shampoo.

I started writing this before I saw Scarlet's post, and agree with what she says: lice happens anywhere and everywhere.

But I can understand your feeling that it just one more thing.

I guess the fact that you are a family of five means a big multiplier of the chance of someone being sick at any one time --- and I guess there's plenty here to catch.

I'm glad to hear that, at least, your health is good.

Sugar, in its processed, refined form, is very controversial stuff. I don't know that there is any branch of science, conventional or otherwise, that would claim that it is the best way of giving your body carbohydrates. I'm sure every dentist in the world would advise eliminating it, for starters!

As to whether or not it weakens the immune system, in fact, as to the whole topic of weakening or strengthening the immune system, there are many theories, many assertions, many suggestions, many dogma --- each to their own!

Dhans's post is encouraging. As a tourist in India I got sick every visit (except one, and then the meal on the plane back home gave me the worst tummy upset of all ). As a resident I am sick no more often than I was in UK, and no worse. 'Something-I-ate' attacks are rare and fairly mild 24-hr affairs.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Nick-H

Even the ones that don't appear to have lice.

You must use a shampoo that kills the eggs (nits) as well as the adults.

Maybe best to ask your doctor to recommend which one.

Shaktipalooza

We're heading to India in 67 days with my toddler son. There's a very good chance we won't be on the plane back.

I've been broken in pretty well with childhood illnesses. My son has had a runny nose for the last six weeks. This morning he appears to be getting the same chest cold his playmate has. All this and he's not even in a daycare situation but in a home with one other child. They do however go to the park, museums, zoo, etc. and have contact with other children during the week. That's all it takes.

I do think there are additional concerns in big Indian cities like Chennai. How is the air pollution where you live? I read a lot about kids developing asthma from the poor air quality in many Indian metros. There are some real horror stories about Kolkata out there.

The other thing I wonder about is mold. Have you checked your home to see if this is an issue. Mold can be very bad for the system and seems to be much more common in India than more northerly climates.

__________________
IndiaGroove - Train finder now in beta!
Pics from India 2006
Traditional Indian Dance

edwardseco

I'll add my 2 cents (and that value is declining) based on several years living and working in parts of India. Morale is a major factor in the immune system. Once my fieldwork was focussed and progressing and I learned to relax a bit my health improved enormously and probably was better than home country because of a more healthy diet. Good advice in CRV's reply. Lice happen, my child got it from a McDonald's play area home country.
Pretty innocuous problem I would say. Wait till you get to change a child's clothes every 45 minutes through the night when they get the flu. The main thing is to understand the psychological stress of moving and deal with that. It gets easier as everyone adapts to and explores their environment..

Champac

Sorry to hear about your kids problems. I have a comment about the Selsun shampoo, please be careful to see it does not get into the eyes as it cause irritation. If a little gets in just irrigate the eyes with clean water.

wish you well