Local Nitpicker Treats Head Lice at Mexican Orphanage

Jennifer Hartigan is a professional nitpicker. A former maternity nurse and lactation consultant, Hartigan has trained in the Shepherd Method, an evidence-based lice treatment developed by Katie Shepherd. “It’s a methodical, strand by strand approach,” said Hartigan. “I like that it is evidence-based. There is a lot of info out there that is unresearched. Really, all you need is a comb and the education behind it.”
Hartigan has applied the Shepherd Method in local residences and schools, and in January, traveled to Queterre, Mexico with Katie Shepherd to treat a persistent lice infestation in a coed orphanage. In a few days, they treated sixty-five cases. “They weren’t really bad cases,” she said, “but enough to make it aggravating.”
Lice travel through head to head contact, and the children who had contracted lice were mostly girls. “They’re not dirty,” she said, “they’re popular. It’s a BFF thing. Once you got rid of it, you could get it right back if your best friend has it.”
Lice is a community problem, as any parent who has experienced it knows. Hartigan supposed that the situation at the orphanage persisted because children who left the orphanage would return carrying more lice. Some of the residents had parents who did not have the time or resources to care for the children. These children would return home for a weekend every few months. “They were super friendly, very well educated, well cared for. The nuns cared about them.”
Over three days at the orphanage, Hartigan and Shepherd conducted head checks, treatment, and rechecks. They also trained the nuns to check and treat in case the lice returned. “The kids would run up and give us big hugs. They were so thankful to get rid of it.”
Since Hartigan completed her training in 2007, the field of lice treatment has grown. “Now there’s a nitpicker on every block.” Hartigan offers tips on her facebook page, www.facebook.com/nitbgone. For example, there are hot spots around the ears.
Her goal is to bring education about lice into schools and to empower parents, “so you know what you’re looking for. I can show you in a film and you could do it.” Understanding how lice travel, how to prevent and check, and how to treat can ease anxiety in parents and children who are trying to head off an infestation.
Hartigan recommends checking children for lice once a week and after sleepovers or camps. “It doesn’t come from bed sheets or helmets. You don’t need the shampoo. Why not just comb it off the head?” According to Shepherd’s research, nits cannot live longer than 24 hours off the head. Using the Nit Free Terminator lice comb and scraping it onto a white paper towel during a meticulous head check can solve the problem. Wearing braids can be a deterrent, and ponytails, Hartigan said, are second best.
Eliminating the stigma is also important, as the lice travels from head to head, through hugs and close conversations, not from poor hygiene. The children at the orphanage, Hartigan said, were clean and wearing brand name clothes, but “needless to say, all their heads were together looking at our phones.”