Head lice treatments: never use products for animals on children

Each year, several cases of adverse reactions due to the use of antiparasitic medicines for animals to treat children’s lice are reported to ANSES. In this back-to-school season, the Agency recalls that animal antiparasitic treatments must never be used on humans, especially children.

The cases handled by poison control centres mainly involve antiparasitic products for dogs, cats or horses that are used on children with head lice.

Antiparasitic treatments intended for animals should never be administered to human beings, especially children. Indeed, benefit/risk assessments of veterinary medicinal products prior to marketing authorisation are carried out for one or more animal species.

Although the risk to the person administering the product is assessed, the toxicological and clinical studies on which this assessment is based are mainly tailored to the animal species and therapeutic indications in question. Under no circumstances can they be used to support risk-free therapeutic use in humans.

In the event of head lice infestation, it is recommended to use the appropriate treatment based on the child's age, and that you seek advice from a healthcare professional such as your pharmacist or doctor.