A recent scientific study revealed that fetuses react differently to the foods the mother eats during pregnancy. The study found that repeated exposure to certain flavors before birth can help determine food preferences after birth.
In a new study published Thursday, scientists confirmed that babies who are still in the womb are big fans of carrots, but leafy greens are not their favorite foods, which is clearly visible on their faces.
Researchers at the University of Durham in northeastern Britain reported that the results of their study were the first direct evidence that babies react differently to smells and multiple tastes before they are born.
A team of scientists studied the results of four-dimensional radiography of 100 pregnant women and discovered that the faces of the children who tasted the flavor of carrots seemed "laughing", while those who tasted the flavor of kale showed signs of crying and annoyance.
"A number of studies indicate that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on postnatal outcomes, while our study is the first to look at these reactions before birth," said lead researcher Besa Aston.
"Therefore, we believe this frequent exposure to flavors before birth can help determine food preferences after birth, which may be important for encouraging healthy eating and avoiding food grumbling at weaning," Aston added.
People recognize flavors through their senses of smell and taste. But when it comes to fetuses, they are thought to taste flavors by inhaling amniotic fluid and swallowing it in the womb.
The study, published in Psychological Science, included a number of scientists from Durham's Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab and Aston University in Birmingham, central Britain, as well as a group of scientists from the National Center for Scientific Research in Burgundy, France.
The researchers believe the findings could deepen understanding of the development of human taste and olfactory channels as well as cognition and memory.
Aston University Professor Jackie Plessett, co-author of the research, said: 'Repeated exposure to flavors before birth may favor those flavors that were experienced after birth, which means that exposing the fetus to undesirable flavors, such as kale, causes the fetus to become familiar with those flavors in the womb.
"The next step is to examine whether fetuses show less 'negative' responses to these flavors over time, leading to greater acceptance of those flavors when babies first taste them outside the womb," Plesset added.
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HEALTH UPDATE