Mother’s complaint: schoolgirls checked their hair for parasites without gloves?

“Banga” editorial office received a complaint from the mother of a schoolgirl studying at the Gargžda educational institution, who said that in March, a specialist from the public health office of the Klaipėda district municipality checked the schoolchildren for head parasites. The mother said that the heads of the whole class were examined by the specialist without gloves on. Also, the girl’s mother was informed that glind eggs were found in her daughter’s head, the girl returned home excited and confused, she was scared.
Specialists follow the recommendations
According to the schoolgirl’s mother, a specialist from the Public Health Office who performed the inspection was spoken to. She asks if the glands can contain germs and why the examination was done without gloves, but she did not receive a specific answer.
Dalia Petrikienė, director of the public health office of Klaipėda district municipality, informed “Banga” that she is aware of this situation. According to her, according to the relevant legal acts, the specialist is assigned the function of checking the personal hygiene of students. “The inspection is carried out according to the recommendations prepared by the Center for Infectious Diseases and AIDS”, reported D. Petrikienė.
According to the director, the recommendations indicate that the inspection is carried out in a separate room with water and soap. She noted that all screenings take place in the health room, at a sink with warm water and soap so that hands can be washed after each student’s screening. D. Petrikienė commented to “Bangai” that sustainability aspects are always taken into account, when over a thousand children study in an educational institution, using a new pair of gloves for each individual check is neither sustainable nor economical. “We wouldn’t be able to use the same gloves to test multiple children.” The inspection procedure itself is not very pleasant, and if the specialist checks the hair with rubber gloves, can it add comfort and a sense of security? Have you ever tried to stroke your hair with rubber gloves on your hands?” asked the director of the institution rhetorically.
Gets infected through personal items
The headmistress also answered the question asked by the mother of the schoolgirl about the glinda. According to D. Petrikienė, lice lay eggs (glind) and stick them very close to the skin to the hair.
“The female lays 6-8 eggs (glund) per day. The larva (nymph) develops in 7-10 days, and the remaining gliding shell remains attached to the hair. Empty gland shells or dead glands can be identified as past infection. Live, moving lice or live lice close to the root of the hair confirm an active infection,” informed D. Petrikienė.
Paying attention to the schoolgirl’s fear, the director of the institution said that excitement is a normal reaction, because no one would want to know that there are parasites in their hair, and they would feel shocked if they found out.
“It is very important to talk in the family that there may be such cases, regardless of whether we live very neatly and cleanly, that we should avoid sharing our personal things, hats, girls – maybe more relevant hair accessories, clothes, combs or even headphones. Unfortunately, this is how it is most commonly transmitted. Children in the educational institution willingly share all their personal belongings, sit with their heads together while watching videos on their mobile phones,” emphasized D. Petrikienė.
Viktorija Kokštytė, chief specialist of the Public Health Safety Control Department of the National Public Health Center, informed “Banga” that the health care specialist performing the inspection must act correctly and qualified. “The recommendations do not specify whether a public health professional should wear gloves. A student should not feel dirty and guilty if lice were found on his head or clothes,” the head noted. specialist.

Gabriele ČIUNKAITĖ
Associative photo