Public Health Nursing

Other Nursing and Clinical Services

Head Lice

Head lice checks by a public health nurse are available at HCHD by appointment only. Call 419-599-5545 to schedule an appointment. If lice or nits are seen, treatment will be recommended and discussion of proper care of other family members and cleaning of linens and other household items will be discussed. Treatment is not provided on site.

Lice are crawling insects that are mainly spread through close, prolonged head-to-head contact. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. There is a small chance for head lice to spread by sharing personal items such as combs, brushes, hats, and sports helmets.

Intense itching on the head, especially behind the ears or at the back of the neck. It can take up to 4 to 6 weeks after lice get on the scalp before itching begins. The itching can last for weeks, even after the lice are gone.

Please contact your school to find out what their policy is. Some schools have “no-nit” policies stating that students who have nits in their hair cannot return to school, however the American Academy of Pediatrics released a clinical report in October 2022 discouraging such policies.

Lead

The CDC updated the blood lead reference value (BLRV) to 3.5 μg/dL. Healthcare providers and labs can report lead levels at or above this value to the county health department where the child resides. To report a Henry County resident, you may fax the lab result and child demographics to our confidential fax at 419-591-3064

Lead can damage nearly every system in the human body and has harmful effects on both adults and children. It is a serious environmental public health threat to children in Ohio. The good news is that exposure can be prevented by keeping children from coming in contact with lead.
Lead can be found in lead-based paint (any house built before 1978 could have lead paint), soil, water, and certain items from other countries.
Many children with lead poisoning have no symptoms at first and even small amounts of lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children. This is why Ohio law requires all healthcare providers to administer blood lead tests to children at age 1 and 2 years, or up to age 6 if no previous test has been done based on the following criteria: the child is on Medicaid, lives in a high-risk ZIP code , or has certain other risk factors.

For parents:

Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning

ODH Resources for Parents

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

For Healthcare Providers:

ODH Medical Management Recommendations for Ohio Children Receiving Blood Lead Tests

ODH Childhood Lead Poisoning Resources for Healthcare Providers

CDC Blood Levels in Children

Housing Resources:

ODH Housing Resources

ODH HEPA Vacuum Loaner Program

Breast and Cervical Cancer Project through the Ohio Department of Health

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