Children and their parents reported none of the treatments had adverse effects. Kids reported less discomfort from the LouseBuster than from any other method.
Clayton estimates it cost $500,000 to develop and test the LouseBuster, with funding from the Utah Centers of Excellence program, University of Utah, Primary Children's Medical Center Foundation and the National Pediculosis Association.
A Lousy Problem
Each year, 6 million to 12 million Americans are infested with head lice, making children miss 12 million to 24 million school days, the researchers say.
"Although head lice do not produce an illness per se, they are physically and psychologically unpleasant for the child and an exasperating problem for parents and school authorities," the scientists write.
Treatments have been chemical shampoos, louse combs and home remedies. Annual U.S. sales of anti-louse shampoos exceed $160 million, yet the shampoos are not very effective at killing nits, requiring repeat treatment. Many parents dislike using insecticide shampoos on children, and lice rapidly are evolving resistance to chemicals.
Louse combs are used to remove the eggs or nits, an effective procedure, but one that requires many hours over several days. "Most parents do not have the time or patience to comb out all the lice and eggs," Clayton and colleagues write.
Some parents resort to home remedies such as bug spray, mayonnaise or kerosene. "These remedies can harm the child and there is little hard evidence that they are effective," the researchers say.
Some of the scientists' relatives got infested during the study. Clayton's kids, Mimi and Roger, volunteered to be infested with lice and then were treated successfully.
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