Lice -- Malthion works in 20 minutes; FDA discourages lindane

[Guest guest]

The September 2003 Consumer Reports article, " Head Lice Shampoos Can Be

Dangerous, " says:

** The FDA recently recommended lindane be used only with extreme caution in

anyone under 110 pounds...

**A study found Ovide (pesticide: malathion) works within 20 minutes. It is

not necessary to use Ovide, which is flammable and smelly, for the

recommended 8-12 hours.

The article is at: www.consumerreports.org, then enter head lice and it's

the first article. I am not an on-line subscriber, but got the article fine.

Direct quotes:

The FDA recently recommended that lindane be used only with extreme caution

in anyone weighing less than 110 pounds, which includes most school-aged

children. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, has long advocated

taking lindane off the market.

The makers of Ovide, which has been available in the U.S. since 1999, have

moved to take over lindane’s market share. Ovide’s active ingredient is

malathion, an insecticide whose use for mosquito control has alarmed parents

across the U.S.

.....

Though it’s one of the safer organophosphate insecticides--considerably

safer than lindane--malathion works by interfering with chemical reactions

in the nervous system, whether of an insect or a person. In its raw state,

malathion readily soaks through the skin. So far, the makers of Ovide have

not done studies to determine how much of the malathion gets into a child’s

circulatory system.

.....

A recent study by Terri Meinking, associate professor of dermatology at the

University of Miami School of Medicine, found that “Ovide killed lice within

20 minutes of exposure, by far the fastest of any product tested.” However,

the product’s instructions say to soak the child’s hair with Ovide and leave

it on for 8 to 12 hours. The longer it stays on the head, the more of it is

absorbed--and the more likely that lice will quickly become resistant to it.

Moreover, it smells bad and might catch fire if the child is near a flame.

-----------------

Note: I am NOT advocating use of malathion. I am simply saying if people use

it, they should use it only 20 minutes.

As a person who developed chemical sensitivities from " safe " chemicals, I

would never use it. I recommend using salad oil or conditioner and a

LiceMeister nit comb... OR enzyme shampoos.

, Minn. Children's Health Environmental Coaliation rep