Your Care Instructions

Body lice are tiny bugs in the seams of your child's clothing or bedding (sheets, pillows, and blankets). They are hard to find on your child's body. It's much easier to see lice or their eggs (called nits) on clothes.

Body lice are most often spread by contact with a person who has body lice or with that person's clothes, bedding, or towels. They are usually found only when people can't wash their bodies or their clothes regularly.

Lice can cause very bad itching, especially at night. They can also cause sores in the armpits, waist, or torso. These are places where the seams of clothing can press against the skin. In rare cases, body lice carry disease. This usually only happens when people are living close together in places where they can't bathe regularly.

Most people can get rid of body lice by washing personal items and their bodies regularly.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Wash your child's clothes, bedding, and towels in a washing machine with hot water. Dry them in a dryer on the hot cycle. If you don't have access to a washing machine, you can store these items in a sealed plastic bag for 14 days to get rid of the lice.
• Try to have your child bathe daily until there are no signs of lice on your child's body, clothes, or bedding. To prevent body lice from coming back, try to bathe and wash clothes and bedding at least once a week.
• If washing doesn't work, you can use an over-the-counter or prescription medicine to kill your child's body lice. Call your doctor or nurse advice line if you think your child is having a problem with his or her medicine. You can also talk to the pharmacist to understand how to use a medicine and make sure that it is safe for your child.
• Try to keep your child from scratching. It may help to trim your child's fingernails. Use an over-the-counter cream or calamine lotion to calm the itching. If the itching is really bad, ask the doctor about an over-the-counter antihistamine. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
• Tell your child not to share clothes, towels, or other items until you treat and clean everything.
• Tell your child's daycare or school that your child has lice. Other children should be checked and then treated if lice are found.