Doctors say kids no longer need to miss school during head lice outbreaks

BOSTON -- For many years, children with lice have been told to stay home until they are "nit free" but a leading group of pediatricians says this is unnecessary and even possibly harmful.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance on head lice for the first time since 2015. 

They say head lice outbreaks are not a health hazard nor a sign of poor hygiene. Instead, they are an "unpleasant part of the human experience," can be successfully managed, and are no reason for a child to miss school.  

The group also says that head lice screening programs in schools are not an effective way to manage the problem and may, in turn, stigmatize children.