(HealthDay News) -- Head lice are easily spread from person to person by close contact or by sharing items such as hairbrushes or towels.

The American Academy of Pediatrics explains how to check a child for head lice:

• Have your child sit down in a brightly lit room.
• Part your child's hair in the middle and begin by inspecting the scalp.
• Look for crawling, fast-moving, light-colored lice. Also look for their nits (eggs), which tend to be yellowish-brown or white in color and stick to the scalp.
• Wet your child's hair and use a fine-toothed comb to comb through and separate your child's hair into small sections. Wipe the comb on a towel between each section, and check the towel for lice and nits.