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Lies, damned lies and lice

Mediker, a lice removal brand, commissioned a nationwide Usage and Attitude (U&A) Survey recently amongst mothers of school-going children between the age group of 5-14 years. The survey, conducted by research agency Blackstone Market Facts in leading cities across the country, found that Chennai recorded the maximum incidence of lice among Indian metros. A staggering 82 per cent of school-going girls were found to be lice-infested versus an average of 62 per cent in Indian metros and mini-metros contained in the study. This means that up to four out of every five school-going girls in Chennai suffer from lice.

The research by Mediker was aimed at understanding the problem of lice, in terms of number of lice sufferers, perceptions of mothers towards lice and remedies used by them for their daughter’s lice problem. The research covered 3,426 mothers, from Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Raipur (MP), Gorakhpur (UP) and Nadiad (Gujarat). The respondents chosen were a random sample of mothers with daughters suffering from lice. They represented all socio-economic classes i.e. SECs - ABCD.

The survey results were that Chennai has the highest lice incidence amongst metros at 82 per cent with Mumbai following in second place at 58 per cent. The national average of incidence of lice in the study was 62 per cent. It is, therefore, a matter of concern that in Chennai, as many as up to four out of every five schoolgirls suffer from lice.

Although, the problem of lice tops the concern list of mothers vis-à-vis other childhood problems (cold/cough, toothache/ cavities and dandruff), a startling 95 per cent of the mothers in the study feel that lice-infested children can attend school. The majority believes that lice is part of growing up and is not worth tackling. A good 87 per cent of the mothers in the study do not believe in preventing their children from mixing with lice -suffering children. This ties in with the fact that in Chennai alone, about 3 out of 10 mothers in the study believe that lice get transferred in school.

Chennai sample size was 343 mothers, having school-going girls in the age group of 5-14 years.

The scientific fact is that lice spreads through head-to-head contact and is fairly democratic when it comes to schoolchildren. According to Rajeev Salvi, a Mumbai scientist, who has done extensive research on the problem of lice, “Lice survive by sucking human blood as often as every 3-6 hours. A lice infestation may cause a child to develop infections, anaemia and fever.” He emphasised, “The urge to itch is a constant distraction. It hampers their concentration levels and affects their studies and day-to-day activities. Psychologically, children become irritable and restless. Embarrassment about the lice crawling, nits being seen, also plays on their mind.”

The U&A study by Mediker, also revealed some common myths which people had towards lice:

Myth: Lice can fly 
Reality: Lice do not jump or fly, they spread only by contact

Myth: Lice only affect people who are unhygienic or economically backward 
Reality: Lice infection is fairly democratic and affects schoolchildren, regardless of their socio-economic conditions

Myth: Adults are not infested by lice
Reality: Lice can affect anybody, irrespective of age or gender. You can get lice from your child or vice-versa. 

Myth: Lice can be got rid of by an application of any ‘harsh’ product available in the market.
Reality: It requires at least four weeks of periodic treatment from a good brand to break the lice life-cycle.

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Rajeev Salvi added, “The problem of lice needs to be taken by parents with a degree of seriousness. Lice survive by sucking human blood and lay up to 250 eggs. As they spread by contact, children are the most vulnerable especially at the school-going age. Lice not only impacts the physical health of the child but also has far-reaching consequences like low self-esteem and poor concentration leading to poor performance.“

Salvi clarified that lice are easily treatable through periodic application of branded lice removal products which are safe and gentle. These are available with all leading chemists in the familiar formats of shampoos and oils. These branded products are scientifically-proven remedies and weekly application of such products will help to get rid of the problem.

RR

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