The Effectiveness of Olive Oil to Combat Lice in Pregnant Women and Children

Abstract

For the period from February 2019 until August 2019 it was checked 75 cases of pregnant women and children included girls and boys, and 28 pregnant women, 42 girls and 5 males were found to be infected. Head louse , as the study showed that the highest incidence of head louse was recorded among girls , it reached 56% , followed by pregnant women with a percentage of infection 37.33% , while males recorded less infection with head louse amounted to 6.66% , respectively , and olive oil was used to determine its effectiveness to combat head louse as a natural substance , and it used Statistical analysis was used Dunkin test .

Full text

Volume 15 Number 2 April-June 2021

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
1. Prof Mete Gulmen Cukurova University, TURKEY
2. Prof. Leandro Duarte De Carvalho, Minas Gerais, Belo Horizante,
Brazil
3. Prof. Donata Favretto (Full Professor) Forensic Toxicology at University
of Padova, Italy
4. Prof. Babak Mostafazadeh Department of Forensic Medicine &
Toxicology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-
Iran
5. Prof Halis Dokgoz, Mersin University, TURKEY
6. Prof Jozef Sidlo, Comenius University, Bratislava, SLOVAKIA
7. Dr. Rahul Pathak (Lecturer) Forensic Science, Dept of Life Sciences
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
8. Dr. Hareesh (Professor & Head) Forensic Medicine, Ayder Referral
Hospital, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle
Ethiopia East Africa
9. Dr. Mokhtar Ahmed Alhrani (Specialist) Forensic Medicine & Clinical
Toxicology, Director of Forensic Medicine Unit, Attorney General’s
Ofce, Sana’a, Yemen
10. Dr. Sarathchandra Kodikara (Senior Lecturer) Forensic Medicine,
Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
11. DrNohaA.MagdieElRae, Forensic Toxicology, Ain Shams University,
Cairo, EGYPT
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
1. Prof Udai Pratap Singh, Department of Anthropology Lucknow
University Lucknow
2. Dr Anil Rahule (Associate Professor) Dept of Anatomy, Govt Medical
College Nagpur
3. Dr Shankar Bakkanwar (Associate Professor) Forensic Medicine,
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnatakad
4. Dr K. Ravikumar Raksha Shakti University, Ahmedabad, Gujrat.
5. Dr. Pragnesh Parmar (Associate Professor) Forensic Medicine,
Valsad, Gujrat
6. Dr Vandana Mudda (Awati) (Associate Prof) Dept of FMT, M.R.Medical
College,Gulbarga, Karnataka,
7. Dr. Asha Srivastava (Senior Scientic Ofcer) Forensic Psychology,
Central Forensic Science Laboratory, CBI, Delhi
8. Dr. Lav Kesharwani (Asst.Prof.) School of Forensic Science, Sam
Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology & Sciences, Allahabad
U.P,
9. Dr. Anu Sharma (Associate Prof) Dept of Anatomy, DMCH, Ludhiana
(PB)
10. Dr. Shalini Gupta ( Prof ) Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dental
Sciences King George Medical University, Lucknow, UP
11. Dr Rituja Sharma, Associate Prof, Law Banasthali Vidyapeeth Jaipur
Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
EDITOR in Chief
Prof. R K Sharma
Formerly at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, E-mail: editor.ijfmt@gmail.com
EDITOR
Prof. Dr. Adarsh Kumar
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi
NATIONAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Chairman
Prof Sudhir K Gupta - Head, Department of Forensic Medicine
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
Members
1. Prof. SK Dhattarwal, Forensic Medicine, PGIMS, Rohtak,Haryana
2. Prof. N K Aggrawal Forensic Medicine, UCMS, Delhi
3. Prof Ajay Ghangale Forensic Medicine Dr DY Patil Medical College,
Pune, Maharashtra
4. Dr. Amar Jyoti Patwory Professor, Forensic Medicine NEIGRIHMS,
Shillong
5. Dr S. Venkata Raghava Professor, Forensic Medicine, Banglore
Medical College, Bengaluru
6. Prof Praveen Arora, Professor Department of Forensic Medicine &
Toxicology, SAIMS, Indore
7. Dr. Pankaj Datta (Principal & Head) Department of Prosthodontics,
Indraprastha Dental College & Hospital, Ghaziabad
8. Dr. Mahindra Nagar (Head) Department of Anatomy, UCMS & GTB
Hospital, Delhi
9. Dr. Virender Kumar Chhoker Professor Forensic Medicine and
Toxicology, Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad, UP
10. Dr. Dayanand G Gannur (Professor) Department of Forensic Medicine
& Toxicology, Shri BM Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research
centre, Bijapur, Karnataka
11. Dr. Alok Kumar Professor Department of Forensic Medicine &
Toxicology, UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Saifai,
Etawah, U.P.
“Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology” is peer reviewed
quarterly journal. It deals with Forensic Medicine, Forensic Science, Toxicology, DNA
ngerprinting, sexual medicine and environment medicine. It has been assigned International
standard serial No. p-0973-9122 and e- 0973-9130. The Journal has been assigned RNI
No. DELENG/2008/21789. The journal is indexed with Index Copernicus (Poland) and is
covered by EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database). The journal is also abstracted in Chemical
Abstracts (CAS) database (USA. The journal is also covered by EBSCO (USA) database.
The Journal is now part of UGC, DST and CSIR Consortia. It is now ofcal publication of
Indian Association of Medico-Legal Experts (Regd.).
Website: www.ijfmt.com
Print-ISSN:0973-9122 Electronic - ISSn: 0973-9130
Frequency: Quarterly, © All Rights reserved The views and opinions expressed are of the
authors and not of the Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. Indian Journal of
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology does not guarantee directly or indirectly the quality or efcacy
of any products or service featured in the advertisement in the journal, which are purely
commercial.
Editor
Dr. R.K. Sharma
Institute of Medico-legal Publications
Logix Ofce Tower, Unit No. 1704, Logix City Centre Mall, Sector- 32, Noida
- 201 301 (Uttar Pradesh)
Printed, published and owned by
Dr. R.K. Sharma
Institute of Medico-legal Publications
Logix Ofce Tower, Unit No. 1704, Logix City Centre Mall, Sector- 32, Noida
- 201 301 (Uttar Pradesh)
Published at
Institute of Medico-legal Publications
Logix Ofce Tower, Unit No. 1704, Logix City Centre Mall, Sector- 32, Noida
- 201 301 (Uttar Pradesh)

Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, April-June 2021, Vol. 15, No. 2 2101
The Effectiveness of Olive Oil to Combat Lice in Pregnant
Women and Children
Bafreen Mohamad Raza1, Haifaa Mohammed Amin2, Hanadi Abdul-Elah Abdul-Razzaq3
1Kirkuk University, College of Science, Department of Biology, Lecturer, Kirkuk-Iraq 2Charmo University,
College of Medicals and Applied Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Assistant Lecturer / 3Kirkuk University,
College of Science, Department of Biology, Lecturer
Abstract
For the period from February 2019 until August 2019 it was checked 75 cases of pregnant women and
children included girls and boys, and 28 pregnant women, 42 girls and 5 males were found to be infected
. Head louse , as the study showed that the highest incidence of head louse was recorded among girls , it
reached 56% , followed by pregnant women with a percentage of infection 37.33% , while males recorded
less infection with head louse amounted to 6.66% , respectively , and olive oil was used to determine its
effectiveness to combat head louse as a natural substance , and it used Statistical analysis was used Dunkin
test .
Keyword : Lice , Olive oil , Pregnant , Children
Introduction
Pediculus humanus is a small insect the compact
area of the dorsal and ventral region is lost to the wings
. This insect hatch from eggs called nits . The infestation
of them is called Pediculus humanus capitis . Which are
attached to the individual hairs near the scalp . Nits can
be found all over the hair , often located at the back of
the scalp , behind the ears and the top of the head . Head
louse not live more than 3 days away from warmth and
moisture in the scalp . Head louse hatch in a period of
7 to 10days [1][2] . Female lice can live for 21-30 days
, and lay about 6-8 eggs a day . This insect lives by
biting and sucking blood from the scalp [3]. The most
common symptom of lice infestation is itching. Other
signs and symptoms may vary depending on the type of
lice [4]. Severe itching from lice infestation can cause
skin infections , especially when the itching is severe
and persistent [5] . The olive tree is one of the perennial
trees and is considered a wealth due to its economic and
environmental benets . Its fruit has many benets , it is
a complete food , and olive oil is extracted from it with
health and nutritional benets , as it does not contain
cholesterol that is harmful to the heart [6] . In addition
to auto oxidation and fat oxidation genes . The Olive
oil is easy to digest , light and preserves . Beauty and
eyeglasses are recommended for use in cooking food
and add it to fresh vegetables as it is reduces blood sugar
[7] .
Material and Method
For the period from February 2019 until August
2019 . Examining 75 cases of pregnant women and
children in the city of Kirkuk . To nd out the prevalence
of Pediculus humanus capitis , some information was
recorded about each case upon examination , such as
gender , area of residence and climate factor , according
to the most famous study . Fully examine the hair from
the scruff and behind the ears with the naked eye , using
the magnifying glass when needed . The insect has
collected in a 10 mm bottle , contain 70% alcohol and
forceps for the purpose of dispersing hair , thin wooden
sticks were used to facilitate the process . It used olive oil
to eliminate head louse , by painting the scalp well with
olive oil, and covering all hair follicles with it to ensure
oxygen cut off . Here’s how to use olive oil : Shampoo
and clean hair thoroughly . Ensure that the hair is cleaned
of any other greasy substance , as it prevents olive oil
from sticking to the hair and scalp , thus reducing the
effectiveness of the olive oil recipe . If the hair is thick
and long , separate it into tufts to make it easier to apply

2102 Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, April-June 2021, Vol. 15, No. 2
it well , apply olive oil to the hair and scalp , and ensure
that the oil covers all areas of the head . Tie the hair ,
wrap it and cover it with a cap , and make sure that the
cap is narrow enough to prevent the lice from trying to
escape from underneath , and leave the hair covered with
oil for 4 to 6 hours . After this period expires , remove
the cap from the hair and comb it with a special comb
. Wash hair with shampoo twice , and clean it of the
effects of olive oil . Dry hair well by dividing the hair
into several sections to make it easier to dry it with a hair
dryer and ensure that the scalp is dried . And repeat this
method two or three times during the week . Statistical
analysis was used Dunkin test .
Result and Discussion
Of the 75case included in the study , 28 were
pregnant and 47children (42 girls & 5 boys) , (Table1)
. The prevalence of infestation was signicantly higher
among girls (56%) than (37.33%) pregnant and boys
(6.66%) .This increase in pregnant women is due to the
ease of movement of lice between mothers and affected
children and the difculty in dealing with them as a
result of the physiological condition experienced by
the mother [8][9] , And that the difference in the rates of
head louse infection between the sexes is not due based
on physiological basis , it depends on the difference in
hairdo and hair length where long hair is a safe haven
for lice , through other studies conducted in Jordan
[10] , boys have a different behaviour , as they have a
short contact during daily play and sporting activities ,
while girls have a desire to direct and prolonged contact
in small groups . Head louse are not a sign of people
or impure homes . It can occur at any age and gender ,
whether male or female . Anyone who has close contact
with an infected person or shares personal items can
become infested [11] [12] . As for the (Table2) . Compare
the treatments within each category , the results were as
follows in pregnant women (37.5%) , for girls (55.55%)
and for males (6.944%) . He knows that a woman’s body
is exposed to many changes during pregnancy , and
those changes affect her scalp as her hair becomes weak
and fast falling out , Lice treatments may adversely
affect the safety of pregnancy and the fetus , as most of
these medical treatments contain toxic chemicals . For
the safety of the pregnant mother [13] . Olive oil has been
used that is easy to digest and preserves beauty and skin
glasses . And olive oil is used to nourish the scalp where
it works to soften and ease the demobilization of hair as
it works to kill the insect that the use of olive oil bridges
the gaps through which the lice breathe . The cause of the
lice ‘death is due to the action of some plant compounds
in killing the epithelial cells lining the insect’s skeletal
channel . It has also been used for children because their
skin is thin and protect them from exposure to toxic
chemicals [7][14] . The values followed by the same letter
are not signicantly different according to the Dunkin
test (P≤ 0.05) .
Table No. 1. Ratios of head louse infection in pregnant women and children in Kirkuk
Sex The injured %
Pregnant 28 b 37.33
girls (6-9) years 42 a 56
boys (6-9) years 5 c 6.66
Total 75
The values followed by the same letter are not signicantly different according to the Dunkin test (P≤ 0.05).

Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, April-June 2021, Vol. 15, No. 2 2103
Table No.2.Treating lice with olive oil in pregnant women and children in Kirkuk (Compare the treatments
within each category)
Sex The injured Use olive oil %
Pregnant 28 a 27 b 37.5
girls (6-9) years 42 a 40 b 55.55
boys (6-9) years 5 a 5 a 6.944
Total 75 a 72 b
The values followed by the same letter are not signicantly different according to the Dunkin test (P≤ 0.05).
Conclusion
After representing these results , we concluded that
head lice that affect pregnant women and children can be
cured by using olive oil as a natural substance .
Conict of Interest : There is no conict of interest
among the authors .
Funding : Self
Ethical Clearance : This study is ethically approved
by the Institutional ethical Committee .
References
[1] Motovali-Emami , M. et al . Epidemiological
aspects of pediculosis capitis and treatment
evaluation in primary schoolmchildren in Iran .
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences , 2008 ,
11:260–264 .
[2] Hodjati , M. ; Mousavi , N. ; Mousavi , M. Head
lice infestation in school children of a low socio-
economic area of Tabriz City , Iran . African
Journal of Biotechnology ,2008 ,7 (13) : 2292–
2294 http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB/
PDF/pdf2008/4Jul/Hodjati%20et%20al.pdf,
accessed 18 October (2011) .
[3] El-Mehmady , RM. The prevalence of the head
lice Pediculus humanus capitis. J Egypt Ger Soc
Zool. 1995;16(E):113-24.
[4] AlBashtawy , M. ; Hasna , F. Pediculosis capitis
among primary-school children in Mafraq
Governorate Jordan. East Mediterr . Health J. 2012
; 18:43-8.
[5] Burkhart , CN. ; Burkhart , CG. Fomite
transmission in head lice . J Am Acad Dermatol .
200 7; 56(6):1044-7.
[6] Yves arambuougg , A. jarraya and R. coutin .
(1986) Olive Tree Entomology. Madid, FAO.
(1986) 300 PP.
[7] Ibrahim, A, Mohamed. Fruit trees , 33 - The basics of
its cultivation , care and production , 32 Alexandria
, Dar Al-Maarif facility Egypt (1998) .
[8] Soliman , A. Kamal . Study of the spread of
head lice among a number of students one of
the primary schools in the city of Kirkuk. Tikrit
Journal of Sciences the exchange . (2014) volume
(19) , number (1: 1) 6 .
[9] Wade , TR. ; Wade , SL. and Jones , HE. Skin
changes and diseases associated with pregnancy .
Obstet Gynecol.1978;52:233–242 .
[10] Amr , ZS and Nusier , MN. Pediculosis capitis
in northern Jordan . International Journal of
Dermatology, 2000, 39:919–921.
[11] Motovali-Emami M et al . Epidemiological aspects
of pediculosis capitis and treatment evaluation in
primary school children in Iran . Pakistan Journal
of Biological Sciences , 2008 ,11:260–264 .
[12] Speare , R. and Buettner , PG. Head lice in pupils
of a primary school in Australia and implications
for control. International Journal of Dermatology,
1999 , 38:285–290 .
[13] Bowers , W. S. ( 1984) . Insect plant interacterial
activity of plant extracts .J. phytochemistry .
38:767-772 .
[14] Wade , TR. Wade , SL. and Jones , HE. Skin
changes and diseases associated with pregnancy.
Obstet Gynecol . 1978 ; 52:233–242 .