IN - Mom Charged After Daughter, 4, Nearly Died From Severe Lice Infestation, Scottsburg, Apr 2021

[SaguaroSpirit]

Indiana Mom Charged After 4-Year-Old Daughter Nearly Died From Severe Lice Infestation

"Shyanne Singh, a resident of Scottsburg in Indiana, was arrested Tuesday on three felony counts of neglect of a dependent.

The 26-year-old Indiana mom remained in custody Friday at the Scott County Jail. Citing a probable cause affidavit, New York Post reported that the Scottsburg police were contacted on April 20 after Singh's daughter was brought to a hospital."

 

[MimosaMornings]

I’d like to know what date these poor girls were taken to their grandmother.
(If she couldn’t walk why would you even bother going to a pharmacy instead of a hospital?!?)

 

[borndem]

I’d like to know what date these poor girls were taken to their grandmother.
(If she couldn’t walk why would you even bother going to a pharmacy instead of a hospital?!?)

The child's hemo level when measured at the hospital was not on a life-preserving level. Kids are resilient, but this IMO will be a tuff ride back to a healthy condition for both of them. At least grandmother was close by.

Here's hoping the grandmother is able to take good care of the kids because this sounds like a tuff haul -- where would so many folks be without grandparents?
Following...

 

[SBops]

There is no way that the mother did not have the lice either.

 

[borndem]

There is no way that the mother did not have the lice either.

Good point, @SBops -- no way.
Those flippin' lice are apparently very easy to get, and a regular shampoo, etc., won't get rid of them. But if caught early, washing bedclothes in hot water, and treating the affected area -- head hair -- with a couple of applications of anti-lice shampoo (no scrip needed and not expensive IINM) and combing out the hair with a fine toothed comb should do it.
<shiver and cringe>

 

[nao]

Mom has a few fb pages..the girls look healthy. Must have been recent down hill life. Moo

 

[katydid23]

that's so disgusting and heartbreaking. That poor child. It must have been so painful. How could 'mom' not notice?

 

[SBops]

that's so disgusting and heartbreaking. That poor child. It must have been so painful. How could 'mom' not notice?

I think that she was probably beyond the itching and pain. I have never heard of a Hb that low, who lived. She would have been so white as to appear almost transparent and would have been cold all the time with freezing hands and feet.
I think that that is what the pharmacist saw when he told granny to take her to hospital.

 

[katydid23]

I think that she was probably beyond the itching and pain. I have never heard of a Hb that low, who lived. She would have been so white as to appear almost transparent and would have been cold all the time with freezing hands and feet.
I think that that is what the pharmacist saw when he told granny to take her to hospital.

I wish the pharmacist had called 911, and stalled the mom.

 

[SBops]

I wish the pharmacist had called 911, and stalled the mom.

But to the grandmother's credit, she did take the children to hospital. She probably had no idea that head lice infestation could do that kink of damage to a child.

 

[FruitSnack]

that's so disgusting and heartbreaking. That poor child. It must have been so painful. How could 'mom' not notice?

My oldest isn’t bother by the lice bites. We almost missed she had it cause she wasn’t itchy at all. Apparently some people just aren’t effected by the saliva.

 

[SBops]

My oldest isn’t bother by the lice bites. We almost missed she had it cause she wasn’t itchy at all. Apparently some people just aren’t effected by the saliva.

Not saliva. Lice, like fleas drink blood.

 

[FruitSnack]

Not saliva. Lice, like fleas drink blood.

I am pretty sure it’s the saliva that makes you itch, same with fleas. The drinking blood doesn’t cause itch. She could have easily have missed she had lice if she didn’t have an allergic reaction. And her being a larger person, she is going to have more blood, so she wouldn’t be affected like a small child

 

[katydid23]

I am pretty sure it’s the saliva that makes you itch, same with fleas. The drinking blood doesn’t cause itch. She could have easily have missed she had lice if she didn’t have an allergic reaction. And her being a larger person, she is going to have more blood, so she wouldn’t be affected like a small child

It's not that easy to miss if you ever comb your kid's hair. My daughter got it in kinder, and when I was combing her hair, I saw the little %$##@^! running around on her scalp.

 

[Filly]

It's not that easy to miss if you ever comb your kid's hair. My daughter got it in kinder, and when I was combing her hair, I saw the little %$##@^! running around on her scalp.

It's awful. Our generation didn't get them for some reason. Plus the school nurse used to come in class and run pencils through our hair to check.

Same with my DD in kinder. I freaked. Luckily had older generation to help me. The nits! OMG. And that flimsy comb with over the counter stuff? Which they've supposedly adapted to. Everything got washed and hot dryer. Us adults wore plastic on our heads as we treated DD.

Dear Lord these poor kids. A hemoglobin that low? From lice? Mom needs help. Beautiful kids. Maybe she was big time overwhelmed.

Off to put straight teatree oil to ward off critters, and people. It stinks.

 

[Laughing]

@meanmaryjean our resident Indiana pediatric nurse.

 

[meanmaryjean]

At your service! This is horrifying - but at 4 years old it's not too hard to understand. The home environment was probably crawling with them and they just breed without treatment. She was not in school so the neglect just continued behind closed doors.
Would not at all be surprised if there is residual life-long deficits from the neglect. I don't fault grandma for going to the pharmacist first- at least she did SOMETHING. And she did do exactly what the pharmacist told her- take her to a hospital.
The lowest hemoglobin I have ever personally seen was 0.7. Child was comatose and eventually died after mom 'treated' her leukemia with essential oils and other quackery.

 

[Filly]

Thank you @meanmaryjean .

So this subject freaks me out. I Doctor Google. In extremely unsanitary conditions head lice will bind on clothing thus causing BODY LICE!

This poor kid probably was being bitten and blood sucked out of her all over. Nightmare.

Man, she could have got typhus.

 

[Shamrock1]

Wait a minute - this is a recent case, right? Wasn’t there a very similar case maybe 1-3 years ago?!

No lice here, yet. I’ve heard that lice are becoming resistant to the OTC topical products, though. There are franchises in some areas that will comb/physically remove them.

Even if the mother didn’t notice the lice, she surely should have noticed how weak her child becoming, right?!

 

[Shamrock1]

Thank you @meanmaryjean .

So this subject freaks me out. I Doctor Google. In extremely unsanitary conditions head lice will bind on clothing thus causing BODY LICE!

This poor kid probably was being bitten and blood sucked out of her all over. Nightmare.

Man, she could have got typhus.

Scabies is body lice, I think. It’s not terribly uncommon even in decent nursing homes, IMO. I attended a boarding school and one student got it. She let it go and looked like a cheetah with all the spots and entire dorm was put on lockdown. Back to this poor kid - yes, she’s very lucky she survived!