Officials in Massachusetts are investigating the death of an 18-month-old girl who was suffocated by a plastic bag put over her hair in effort to remove head lice with a home remedy.

Last Saturday Springfield police received a call the child was not breathing, reported Masslive.com.

Sgt. John Delaney says the toddler's scalp was covered in mayonnaise and a plastic shopping bag was placed over her head, which is a common home remedy for treating head lice.

However, the little girl was left unattended for several hours and fell asleep with the bag on her head. That's when it apparently slipped down, covering her face and suffocating her, The Associated Press reported.

A little boy in the family also had lice. However, the family decided to shave his head.

Police have yet to file charges in the case, which is still being investigated.

All children in the house have been removed and are currently in a relative's care.

Mayonnaise is a popular home remedy for treating head lice since it contains oil that suffocates adult lice. However, many websites suggest the treatment be carried out with a shower cap.

Deborah Altschuler, president of the National Pediculosis Association, discourages the use of home remedies that involve 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.'"

Instead, Altschuler said the most effective treatment for head lice is "early detection and manual removal."

"[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," she said.