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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if you reckon your kid hasn't had nits/threadworms recently...

139 replies

LazyLousyLizzieJane · 30/08/2018 23:01

... then they're probably the source.

Surely the main difference between kids (at least at primary school) is not whether they get them, but whether it's recognised and treated? Are nits really that picky about whose head they infest? If 40% of kids at any one time have threadworms, then is it really possible that so many kids are thought by their parents to never get them?

My kids seem to crawl with parasites regularly. I treat it thoroughly and then, a few months later, they're back. I'm not alone in this, am I?

OP posts:
FissionChips · 30/08/2018 23:08

I don’t think it’s normal. Haven’t you taught your children the importance of hand washing? Do you use a preventative lice treatment?

KERALA1 · 30/08/2018 23:10

Agree op. I have to nit comb every few weeks. Steer clear of smug parents who insist their kids never had them. No you just haven't spotted them and treated them!

altiara · 30/08/2018 23:13

I disagree. If your child hasn’t got either then the parents are treating them for it and doing the right thing.
Mine never had threadworms and DS never had nits. Disappointing as after DD I had a fine arsenal of anti nit weaponry and the biggie was the electric nit comb. Luckily DSIL did her DCs hair and found it worked as obviously they didn’t come near my house after I invested in it!

blibblibs · 30/08/2018 23:13

We've had nits more times than I care to count so we Nit comb at every hair wash now.
Bypassed the worms so far though Smile

arethereanyleftatall · 30/08/2018 23:13

I honestly don't think my kids have ever had them.
I check occasionally and have never seen any scratching or anything.
My theory, not based on any science whatsoever, is that they're both in a swim club (as was I and never had them), swimming a few times a week, and the chlorine kills them off.

Fatted · 30/08/2018 23:14

Maybe the smug parents are checking and treating them and that's how they know they don't have them?!

MrsZB · 30/08/2018 23:15

YABU.

My kids have had nits so I know what it looks like. But they haven’t for ages. I insist on hair tied back at school which has really helped.

Batteriesallgone · 30/08/2018 23:15

I was thinking this the other day.

There’s a particular playground we go to that seems to be a haven for worms in the school holidays. We no longer go there in the school holidays!

Anyway, I’m on a local Facebook group, and someone said about talking to the council about that sandpit because probably the sandpit is where all the worm cross contamination is taking place. Makes sense.

Oh the outrage! The horror! The insistence that their children used the sandpit ALL THE TIME and NEVER had worms!

I felt like saying - clearly you lot are the parents of the contaminators then, because there is no way on earth your child can play there regularly and not get worms!!

MrsZB · 30/08/2018 23:16

Nits would get worse and worse wouldn’t they until it’s pretty obvious!

WhirlwindHugs · 30/08/2018 23:16

Yep... I too am suspicious of parents whose kids have never had any infestation!

Fortunately, with the dreaded worms, only 1 in the family got it. Followed the treatment instructions religious and it didn't spread to the rest of us. If we hadn't told her keyworker etc no one would have known.

So perhaps there are a lot of parents keeping quiet...

ThisMustBeMyDream · 30/08/2018 23:16

Mum of a 16, 5 and 3 year old.

Mine have never had them. Nor have I.

Luck of the drawer.

I regularly look in their hair because we all like playing with hair here!

None have had threadworms.

Again. Probably luck.

Munchyseeds · 30/08/2018 23:17

My kids never had worms, neither have I or DH, kids did have nits once tho

ThisMustBeMyDream · 30/08/2018 23:17

Draw ffs.

MrsZB · 30/08/2018 23:18

Whenever I see people say that they are always getting nits my suspicion is always that they haven’t properly got rid of them first time round.

Airbiscuits · 30/08/2018 23:18

I think they all get them. But some kids react (feel the itching) and you see the scratching when there is only one or two nits or worms. Others are impervious until their head is crawling (or you can actually see worms crawling out, like a friend of mine did).

Happyandshiney · 30/08/2018 23:21

Nonsense.

I have two children. In 7 years st school we had head lice on one child once and thread worms on one child once.

We treated the whole family immediately and thoroughly and have never had reoccurrences.

Our children are taught to
wash their hands before watching - especially at school.

Long hair is tied back every day and they know not to share brushes or put their heads together with other kids.

Neither of these problems are difficult to recognise, I don’t understand why you would just they were.

treaclesoda · 30/08/2018 23:21

I think my DD had nits once, at pre-school, but I was on it immediately. That was years ago and I've never seen any evidence of them since. And I've never seen any evidence of worms and have never heard anyone else mention them either. Both my children are obsessive handwashers though, so maybe that has protected us on the worms issue.

Bellebelle · 30/08/2018 23:22

We have to wet comb at every hair wash too after my DD’s constantly got lice. It feels like we’re just keeping on top of it rather than ever properly getting rid of them as even if every single egg and louse has been combed out or nuked with hedrin they just get straight back into contact with them the next day at school. It’s never ending!

RebelRogue · 30/08/2018 23:24

DD is going into y2 and we never had lice or worms (yet..God help me if she does). We have fleas though if it helps.

Naty1 · 30/08/2018 23:25

Some kids put their hands in mouth more than others. Thumb sucking etc. Nail biting.
Threadworms though get airborne.
You are probably right with the worms as it's not like most of us go in their rooms with a torch frequently.
Some wear their hair loose.

Some kids play more closely with others.

I agree that 1 family per class who dont treat on purpose/never notice are likely infecting/reinfecting every other kid around.
That's why a nit nurse/school nurse is needed. Maybe charging back to the school for the nit stuff would move it from being a parents issue to the school and give them an incentive to pay for a nit nurse.
Maybe volunteers.

PattiStanger · 30/08/2018 23:27

In all my years of having children in school I've had one with nits and none with worms. I don't think that's unusual is it? It's not because I'm not checking, maybe it's good luck who knows. Your statement is too much of a generalisation.

OlennasWimple · 30/08/2018 23:28

We've been lucky too and no nits or worms

How would you not know though? If left untreated, your DC would be scratching all the time!

Insertquirkyname · 30/08/2018 23:29

My daughter’s paediatrician told me to routinely worm the kids with ovex every 6 months- so I’ve always done it- it does no harm to routinely worm kids.

JaretsGirlfren · 30/08/2018 23:29

DD6 has never had either and neither have I. I used to be a nursery nurse and have had a hell of a lot of contact with both, so just luck maybe?

Only one child in the nursery caught swine flu, and I was the only adult who caught it too so hit and miss I suppose.

PutItAwayDear · 30/08/2018 23:30

Nah some kids just don't get nits!

My oldest had them almost non stop throughout primary school. We'd comb twice weekly and completely rid her of them only to find adult lice a few day later. She was usually free for the holidays then infested again as soon as she mixed with other kids when term started. Her hair was always tightly plaited every morning but it didn't make a difference.

My younger child has never had them. Even when everyone else in the family has, he's just never had them. Actually once as a baby he had 'nit' - as in, I saw a bit on his head and picked it off. That's it. He just doesn't get them. I don't know why as he has curly longish hair, but he really doesn't get nits!

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