Pharmacists are urging parents to check their children routinely for head lice every week as the schools re-open after the summer break.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), advises early detection to reduce the spread of the infection within schools and to help reduce the scale of the outbreaks, which it says can be distressing for children, parents and teachers.

The IPU stresses that there is no way of preventing head lice, but the earlier their presence on the head is detected, the easier it is to get rid of the lice.

Kathy Maher, IPU Vice-President, said: "We are urging parents to check their children's heads for head lice and nits every week. While lice aren't dangerous, they are extremely contagious and their bites may cause a child's scalp to become itchy and inflamed. Persistent scratching may lead to skin irritation and, potentially, even infection so it is important to treat head lice quickly."

Infestations are most common in children aged four to eleven and most children will get them at least once. A child who is infected will usually complain about constant scratching, which can lead to disturbed sleep and associated problems such as irritability and poor concentration.

Tips to deal with head lice are:
* Check children's hair regularly by wet combing the hair every week to search for nits/lice.
* Always tie up long hair in a ponytail to avoid hair coming into contact with other hair that might be infected.
* When necessary, treat the hair as soon as possible, but only if live lice or unhatched eggs are present. Ask your pharmacist about the most appropriate treatment option for your child. Never treat a child as a preventative measure as this isn't effective.
* Inform the school, their friends and other contacts immediately if your child is infected as everyone will need to be checked.
* Keep calm and make the experience as least distressing as possible for the child.