The IAA One Minute Blog

A new study shows that infants as young as three to five months old can tell that the unintelligible sounds they make before they learn to talk can impact the people around them.

New Study on Babbling Babies

Traditionally babbling has been thought of as a byproduct of babies trying to work their mouths and exercise their voices. New research shows that adults’ reactions to their vocalizations influence babies’ understanding of how they need to respond to properly communicate.

The team found that from a young age, babies learn these skills by experimenting with adult responses. A parent’s response to a vocalization is linked to the baby’s expectation that the sounds he or she makes can affect strangers.

The study examined the behavior of two and five month olds with their caregivers and a study experimenter. After a minute of playtime, the experimenter stopped responding to the baby, offering a neutral “still face” for two minutes. In response, the two month olds didn’t change their babbling. But the five month old responded with a burst of intense babbling, followed by a period of quiet. This is a reaction that adults do all the time.

Predicting outcomes of social interactions is a major job of the brain. In these early stages, babies as rookie communicators are beginning to figure out if they, themselves, are successful communicators.

The study was published in the journal, “Developmental Science.”

Developing Language Skills

The first three years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, is the most intense period for acquiring speech and language skills.

The first signs of communication occur when an infant learns a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. Newborns also begin to recognize important sounds in their environment, such as the voice of their mother. As they grow, babies begin to sort out the speech sounds that compose the words of their language. By six months, most babies recognize the basic sounds of their native language.

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The natural gas piped into your home contains a variety of toxic chemicals, including nearly two dozen so harmful they’re classified as hazardous air pollutants, a new study says.

Hazardous Gas Found In Kitchens

Natural gas samples taken from 69 Boston-area cooking stoves were found to contain at least 21 different hazardous air pollutants, according to findings.

The study shows that while natural gas may be cleaner than burning coal and oil in terms of air pollutants, it does not mean it is completely clean.

For the study, scientists collected 234 natural gas samples from the kitchens of 69 homes in and around Boston.

Analysis detected 296 unique chemical compounds in the natural gas, including 21 designated as hazardous air pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Concentrations of hazardous air pollutants in natural gas varied depending on the time of year, with the highest concentrations found in winter.

These chemicals could be polluting the air of your kitchen and home through slow leaks in your stove. The study found that five percent of homes had a leak that was large enough that it was recommended to be repaired.

Benzene, which was found in 95 percent of the samples taken, is of particular concern because it is a known carcinogen. It has been known to cause leukemia and it has also been associated with lymphoma.  Short-term exposure to high levels of colorless and odorless benzene could lead to drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and eye and skin irritation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The impact is significant: over one-third of U.S. households—more than 40 million homes, cook with gas.

The findings were published in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology.”

People with a gas cooker should be sure to run their range hood while cooking, and make sure they have a range hood that pipes air outside the house rather than re-circulating it through the kitchen.

Gas Leaks and Your Health

Gas leaks change the amount of oxygen available. Breathing in less oxygen may mean you start to experience health symptoms, which include:

• Breathing problems
• Dizziness
• Eye and throat irritation
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea

If you suspect a gas leak, leave your home and call 911.

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A sensor patch worn on the back of the neck may help measure whiplash and predict the risk of concussion in high impact sports, new research suggests.

New Sensor May Help With Whiplash and Concussion

A new small and flexible device was able to detect sudden neck strain, such as whiplash, using a test dummy.

The researchers developed a novel patch sensor using a film layer of thermoplastic material that produces electrical energy when physically touched or pressure is applied.

The electrical signal that is produced is proportional to the physical strain on the neck and can be used to estimate the acceleration and velocity of sudden neck movement, which are two important markers for predicting concussion.

To test the sensor patch, the researchers applied the device to the back of the neck of a dummy that has accelerator-based sensors and a gyroscope inside its head.

They then dropped the dummy from a suspended height of 24 inches to simulate whiplash and found the sensor patch’s output had a strong positive correlation of 90 percent with results from the sensors inside the head.

Current technologies used to monitor head movements are based on helmet devices. These often provide inaccurate readings since they are translating helmet movements which do not necessarily represent head or body movements.  

The study was published in “Scientific Reports.”

Protect Yourself

Your brain has the consistency of gelatin. It is cushioned from everyday jolts and bumps by cerebrospinal fluid inside your skull. A violent blow to your head and neck or upper body can cause your brain to slide back and forth forcefully against the inner walls of your skull. Such acceleration or deceleration of the head can cause brain injury.

To help prevent or minimize the risk of a head injury wear protective gear during sports or other recreational activities. Make sure the equipment fits properly, is well maintained and is worn correctly.

Nearly 4 million concussions related to sports and recreational activities occur annually in the United States, but as many as 50 percent of concussions may go unreported, experts say.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you to know what is going on in the world of health. Keep up to date with IAA!

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A new study warns that tongue and lip piercings can do damage to your teeth and gums.

Study Finds Oral Piercings Damage Teeth

Researchers analyzed eight studies that included 408 people with a combined 236 lip piercings and 236 tongue piercings. In all, one in five had more than one oral piercing. Most participants wore metal jewelry in their piercings.

The studies compared teeth and gums located next to the piercings with areas elsewhere in the mouth. Researchers reported that three in five studies found deeper pockets around teeth next to tongue piercings, and three in four found wider gaps between teeth; two in three found bleeding gums, and four studies looking for receding gums found it in all four.

Additionally, three out of four studies looking at lip piercings revealed receding gums in the area.

Researchers on the new study urged dentists to tell their patients about the risk of complications from wearing oral piercings.

About five percent of young adults have oral piercings, with the tongue being the most common site. Women are about four times more likely to have an oral piercing than men, according to the study authors. 

Oral Piercings and Your Health

Oral piercings may look cool, but they can be a danger to your health. That’s because your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection and swelling often occurs with mouth piercings.

If you pierce your tongue, lips, cheeks, or uvula, it can interfere with speech, chewing or swallowing. It may also cause:

• Damage to the gums, teeth and fillings: A common habit of biting or playing with the piercing can injure your gums and lead to cracked, scratched or sensitive teeth. Piercings can also damage filings.
• Dental appointment difficulties: The jewelry can get in the way of dental care by blocking x-rays.
• Excessive drooling: Your tongue piecing can increase saliva production.
• Hypersensitivity to metals: Allergic reactions at the pierced site are possible. 
• Infection, pain and swelling: Your mouth is a moist environment, home to huge amounts of breeding bacteria, an ideal place for infection.
• Nerve damage: After a piercing, you may experience a numb tongue that is caused by nerve damage that is usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent. The injured nerve may affect your sense of taste, or how you move your mouth. Damage to the tongue’s blood vessels can cause serious blood loss.

Keep the piercing site clean and free of any matter that may collect on the jewelry by using a mouth rinse after every meal.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants your smile to be bright and healthy! Taking care of your oral health also helps you to take care of your overall health. Remember, with IAA one call does it all.

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Scientists are currently undergoing a new study to try and understand if metabolism is set from birth.

Studying Metabolism in Infants

Tiny babies as young as two weeks old are hanging out with scientists who take measurements of their body fat and their metabolism.

Researchers believe that by studying metabolism in the first weeks of life—long before a person’s weight is influenced by outside factors like the foods they are fed or choose to eat—they will uncover the biological basis for obesity. Newborns don’t exercise and their diets are comprised solely of breast milk or formula.

The theory is that a person’s “metabolic fingerprint” is set for life at birth. Decoding that fingerprint could ultimately lead to personalized interventions for children at risk for obesity.

Babies enrolled in the National Institutes of Health-funded study are first brought into the lab at just two weeks old for their first two measurements: body fat percentage and metabolism.

To calculate body fat, babies are placed inside an enclosed, oval shaped chamber called a Pea Pod. The machine measures how much air volume the baby takes up inside the pod, compared to the baby’s body mass.

The researchers plan to look at each baby’s body fat at just a few weeks old and compare it to how it looks at two years of age.

So far hundreds of babies have had their body fat measured in the Pea Pod. Along with others globally, the team has data on approximately 7,000 babies.

The second measurement is newborn metabolism. Scientists use an infant metabolic chamber which is a plexi-glass cube furnished with a tiny mattress.

A baby’s metabolism is calculated by taking precise measurements of the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the chamber. Researchers know the concentration of these gasses in the air when the baby goes into the chamber, and each exhalation contains more carbon dioxide than oxygen. By measuring the amount of oxygen babies breathe in versus carbon dioxide they breathe out, researchers can estimate how many calories they are burning. If the baby is working harder to burn calories, it produces more carbon dioxide.

So far about 40 babies have been studied in the metabolic chamber and the first results are not expected until next year.           

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. The extra pounds often start children on a path to health problems that were once considered adult problems:

• Breathing problems: Asthma is more common in children who are overweight.
• Diabetes (type 2): This chronic condition affects the way your child’s body uses sugar. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol: A poor diet can cause your child to develop one or both of these conditions. These factors can contribute to buildup of plaques in the arteries, which can cause arteries to narrow and harden, possibly leading to a heart attack or stroke later in life.
• Joint pain: Extra weight causes extra stress on hips and knees. Childhood obesity can cause pain and sometimes injuries in the hips, knees and back.
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: This disorder which usually causes no symptoms causes fatty deposits to build up in the liver. This can lead to scarring and liver damage.

Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

  To help prevent weight gain in your child:

1. Set a good example: Make healthy eating and regular physical activity a family affair.
2. Have healthy snacks available
3. Choose non-food rewards: Promising candy for good behavior is a bad idea.
4. Be sure your child gets enough sleep:  Sleep studies indicate that too little sleep may increase the risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation can cause hormonal imbalances that lead to increased appetite.
5. Don’t have a clean plate policy: If kids are satisfied, don’t force them to keep eating. Reinforce the idea that they should only eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.
6. Don’t talk about “bad foods”: Kids may rebel and overeat forbidden foods outside of the home or sneak them in on their own.

Nationwide, America’s obesity epidemic affects nearly 20 percent of children and teenagers according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 40 percent of adults—a figure expected to rise to 50 percent by 2030.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you and your family to have a healthy life. Make the time to see if there are any healthy lifestyle changes you can make! Remember, with IAA one call does it all.

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