Dear Abby: Thank you for informing the public about hepatitis B by printing the excellent letter from Thelma King Thiel, president of the American Liver Foundation. I would like to add three points about this disease and the national recommendations for its prevention.
First, as a family physician, I want the public to know that in addition to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians also recommends the routine vaccination of all infants against hepatitis B.Second, all pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B during pregnancy to make sure they are not silent carriers of this disease. If undetected, hepatitis B can be passed to their infants, and may cause liver failure or liver cancer. The testing of all pregnant women has been a national recommendation since 1988.
And third, please urge parents to check their babies' shot records to make sure they have been vaccinated against both hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza B. These vaccines are both recommended for all infants. Although their names are similar, the vaccines are different.
- Deborah L. Wexler, M.D.,
executive director,
Hepatitis B Coalition
Dear Dr. Wexler: Thank you for a valuable letter. Readers who want more information on hepatitis B should send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Hepatitis B Coalition, 417 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103.
Dear Abby: A neighbor of mine who is also a good friend had a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit. She promised her husband she wouldn't smoke anymore, so she started chewing tobacco as a substitute.
Abby, it's bad enough to see a tobacco-chewing man looking for someplace to spit, but seeing a woman do it is really disgusting.
She claims a lot of women chew, but few people know about it. I have told her it looks terrible to have tobacco juice gathering in the corners of her mouth, but the poor soul has the habit so bad, she can't quit.
Will you please ask your readers to pray for her?
- Molly Mae
Dear Molly Mae: An entire nation could pray for her, but the Lord needs her cooperation. An addiction (and chewing tobacco is an addiction) is an "undo-it-yourself" project.
The American Cancer Society offers Fresh Start classes nationwide that include chewing tobacco addiction, as well as a self-help guide for those who prefer to quit on their own (or with a friend). Your neighbor can obtain information on a Fresh Start class nearest her, or a copy of the self-help guide, by calling the society's national, toll-free number at (800) ACS-2345.
Dear Abby: Can you stand one more name story?
I was watching television with my family some years ago, when my 13-year-old daughter asked me during a commercial, "Mom, is Betty Crocker married?"
Before I could answer, my 7-year-old son piped up, "Of course."
Indignantly, my daughter challenged her brother with, "Who is she married to?"
Without hesitation, my son very seriously replied, "To General Mills, of course."
Hope you enjoy this - we usually agree on everything, Abby.
- Muriel Munro, Glendale, Ariz.