Massachusetts girl dead after home treatment for lice went wrong and she suffocated

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18-month-old was left unsupervised for hours, say Massachusetts police
Another child in home had lice but family shaved his head
Department of Children and Families said any children from the home are now in care of relative and that they are investigating
National Lice Association president says plastic bags are always bad idea

By Anneta Konstantinides For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:56 EST, 5 February 2015 | Updated: 15:42 EST, 5 February 2015

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An 18-month-old child in Massachusetts suffocated to death from a plastic bag that was placed over her head during a mayonnaise lice remedy (file photo)

An 18-month old child in Massachusetts suffocated to death from a plastic bag was placed over her mayonnaise-covered head during a home treatment for head lice.

The girl had apparently fallen asleep when the bag slipped down and covered her face, asphyxiating her.

Springfield officers said the infant was left unattended for hours before anyone checked on her.

There was a second child in the house who had lice at the same time but the family decided to shave his head.

Sgt. John Delaney said police responded to a call last Saturday that a child was not breathing, according to Masslive.com.

Police have not filed charges and the matter is under investigation.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is also investigating the incident.

Public information director Cayenne Isaksen said any children in the house had been removed and are currently in a relative's care.

She would not specify how many children were living in the residence.

Mayonnaise is listed as a common home remedy for head lice on a number of web sites, but most suggest the treatment be carried out with a shower cap.

The CDC states that individuals infected with lice should be treated with over-the-counter or prescription medication.

It says it does not have sufficient scientific evidence to determine if head lice can effectively be treated with mayonnaise.

Deborah Altschuler, president of the National Pediculosis Association (the scientific name for lice), discouraged any home remedy treatments involving plastic bags.

'We've been warning the public about this since the first time it was recommended,' she told the Daily Mail Online.

'Plastic around a child's head is a bad idea no matter what, especially if you're going to put them to bed that way.'

Altschuler said the most effective treatment for head lice was 'early detection and manual removal' and she discouraged against 'pesticide' medications.

She said if parents 'know what to look for' before their children have it and use a good comb to screen hair, they'll get to the head lice early enough that it becomes a non-problem.