We have received questions about thumb sucking and biting fingernails. Both of these activities are common because they tend to relieve stress. However, they can cause alterations in tooth placement in the case of thumb sucking and damage to the nails with pan and local infections in the case of biting fingernails. Valmed pharmacy (www.valmed-hhs.com) has created a product that they call “Don’t be a thumb sucker” for application to the thumb or fingers. It contains sucrose octaacetate which tastes very bitter, but it is generally considered safe, especially in very low amounts. We have helped two parents obtain this treatment for their children, and they both reported good results. If you would like to try this product for your child, please call the nurses for a trial application or prescription.
Archives for July 2016
Parents of 2017 High School Graduates
Students who plan on entering public universities in the State of Texas for the Fall of 2017 will be using the uniform application service at www.applytexas.org. The application process is very rigorous and time-consuming, and it requires the completion of multiple essays. The first date to submit an application for the Fall of 2017 is August 1, 2016. It is very important that your student submits his or her application immediately after midnight on August 1 — just over 2 weeks from now. Our contacts in higher education have told us that most, if not all, universities use the order in which the application was received for determining college placement within the university, new student orientation dates, class enrollment, and financial aid. Often, students who are in the top 10% of their graduating class make the assumption that they will automatically be admitted to both the university and the college that they desire — this is not true. They will be automatically admitted to the university, but they may not get the college or major that they want to study. This is especially true for those students that want to study business or engineering. We have had students get admission to the university but be told that they would not be allowed to study in the business college or the engineering college. Some have gone to the university and had to later fight for admission to the college/major that they originally desired. Many of the larger universities have stringent requirements for transfer to one of these colleges making it almost impossible.
Here is a website with good information about applying at www.applytexas.org:
https://www.applytexas.org/adappc/html/things_to_know.html
Please submit your child’s application as close to August 1 as possible. This is one of those situations where procrastination can be life-altering.
Trumenba Meningococcal Vaccine
Meningococcal bacteria can cause an infection which often includes meningitis and damage throughout the body. Although meningococcal infections are rare, they can be very damaging and deadly. Serotypes of meningococcus which infect children and adolescents include A, B, C, W, and Y. The meningococcal vaccine routinely given in our office, Menactra, protects against serotypes A, C, W, and Y. A newer vaccine available in our office, Trumenba, protects against serotype B. Here is the CDC discussion on meningococcal vaccines:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mening/
Menactra is recommended by the CDC for all adolescents, and it is required for admission by colleges and universities. Trumenba is only recommended by the CDC for adolescents with specific immunodeficiencies, specific hematologic abnormalities, and a non-functioning or absent spleen. However, it has been found by the FDA to be both safe and effective. Adding Trumenba to Menactra would give the most complete protection possible for your adolescent. Unfortunately, since it is not recommended for all adolescents by the CDC, it is not routinely covered by insurance. Here is a list of the 5 college outbreaks of Meningococcal B infection since 2013:
http://www.nmaus.org/disease-prevention-information/serogroup-b-meningococcal-disease/outbreaks/
If you are interested in the vaccine, check with your insurance. If it is not covered and you want your adolescent immunized, please call the office to learn the cost of administration. Trumenba is administered in a 3 dose series at 0, 2, and 6 months.
Dr. Young
