When lice happens

We’re facing the four-letter word no parent wants to hear — lice. Updated guidance from federal health authorities and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests parents and schools don’t need to panic. In fact, schools are now discouraged from sending kids home just because they have active lice. Tennessee has embraced this thinking with a new manual for schools. But it’s been tough to put into practice. Williamson County Schools put a pause on updating its policy last Fall when questions started flying about the risk of leaving students with lice in the classroom. In this episode, we talk about balancing treatment and stigma, and go inside a recent infestation in Bellevue.

This episode was produced by Blake Farmer.

Guests:

• Tonya Bryson, owner/co-executive director of the Creative Youth Enrichment Center
• Santiago Galera, owner of Lice Is Simple
• Joseph Gigante, MD, professor of general pediatrics at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
• Cathryn Smith, RN, Metro Public Health Department program manager for school health and president-elect of the Tennessee Association of School Nurses

Additional songs this episode:

• Lice, Lice Baby
• “Blackbird” lice parody