Dr Phil Kieran: How can I treat my long-haired child's head lice?

Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire way to prevent lice, but understanding how they spread can help reduce the risk somewhat

Dr Phil Kieran: "If the lice combing could be combined with a pleasant experience for your daughter, such as reading or listening to a story, it could be a good idea to do this once a week or so during the school year to catch lice early."

We received three school letters last year about a breakout of head lice. My eight-year-old has long hair, so it took an age each time to check and treat it. Unfortunately, she ended up getting head lice regardless. Now she's back in school, I'm dreading the next notification. What treatment would you recommend?

Head lice are both an almost unavoidable part of parenting and a topic of discussion that everyone would rather not have.