12YO Girl Died After Severe Head Lice Infestation, Parents Charged For Murder

By
Shawn Ambrose
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As your parents will tell you, having a child is a heavy responsibility.

Once you become a parent, it’s your job to ensure that no harm comes to your child, and they are properly taken care of.

But, as we’ve seen time and time again, some parents simply don’t take this responsibility seriously enough.

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12YO Girl Died After Severe Head Lice Infestation, Parents Charged For Murder

A 12-year-old girl has died in Georgia, America after a severe head lice infestation triggered a heart attack.

Kaitlyn Yozviak was found unresponsive in her house after her mother called the authorities.

She was then transported to Navicent Medical Center in Baldwin County and pronounced dead.

According to AsiaOne, Kaitlyn was forced to live in a filthy room which had vermin swarming all over her mattress, stuffed toys, and furniture.

Due to her lice infestation, she was bitten several times over three years.

This lowered her blood iron levels which in turn caused her to develop severe anemia, leading to cardiac arrest.

The authorities also discovered that Kaitlyn had not bathed for a week and a half before she died in August.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 12-year-old had been subjected to excessive physical pain due to medical negligence.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) were actually notified of her parents’ negligence back in 2018, when they received a call about their home being “bug-infested with excessive cats, and hazardous conditions”.

Kaitlyn was sent to live with her aunt, but only temporarily. She was returned to her parents after just six days.

Her two brothers were also previously taken away from their parents, according to documents from the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFSC).

Kaitlyn’s parents, Katie Horton, 37, and Joey Yozviak, 38, have been charged for second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty following her death.

Preventing Lice Infestation

Now, if you’re a parent, you’re probably freaking out and worried that your child might end up with a lice infestation too.

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Fortunately, there are some ways to reduce one’s risk.

Here are five steps you can take to prevent lice infestation:

1. Avoid Head Contact

Contrary to what most people believe, lice crawl onto the body; they cannot fly or jump. This means that you have to be close to someone to catch it.

So avoid activities that involve hair-to-hair contact.

2. Avoid Sharing 

Another way to prevent lice infestation is to avoid sharing items of clothing or personal care products.

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This means not sharing hats, hoodies, towels, combs, and brushes with other people.

3. Avoid Sitting On Couches in Public

While lice cannot survive on plastic or wood, they can live for around 48 hours on upholstered furniture and rugs.

So, if you’re at the dentist and you have to wait a couple of hours, go for the wooden chair instead of that comfy looking sofa.

4. Wash Clothes in Hot Water

If you’re worried about a possible lice infestation in your house, simply wash your hats, scarves, hair ties, hoodies, and towels with hot water before drying them in a hot setting.

5. Be Wary of Stuffed Toys

Stuffed toys may look cute and innocent, but they are a common hideaway for lice.

To ensure that your child is safe, seal their stuffed toys in a plastic bag for 2 weeks or place them in the freezer for 24 hours. This will kill the lice, as they’ll have nothing to feed on.

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It’d also be a good idea to check everyone in your household for head lice regularly.

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]