Thursday 22 September 2022 12:17 AM Hatred of green vegetables begins in the WOMB! Babies smile for carrots but ... trends now
While the idea of a salad will get some people's taste buds tingling, for others, the idea of chomping through a bowl of vegetables sounds more like a punishment.
Now, a study has shown that babies begin responding to different flavours while they're still in the womb.
Researchers from Durham University took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers.
The results showed how foetuses smiled shortly after their mothers had eaten carrot – but grimaced when their mothers opted for kale.
The findings suggest that what pregnant women eat might influence their babies' taste preferences after birth.
If this is the case, the results could have implications for establishing healthy eating habits.
Researchers from Durham University took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers. Left: neutral baby face, right smiling baby face
When the women consumed carrot, the foetuses tended to smile on the scan (stock image)
To find out if you're a supertaster:
1. Darken your mouth by swirling around red wine
2. Take a piece of notepaper with holes punched in the margin, which are around 6mm in diameter
3. Place a hole over your tongue and count the number of papillae - small fleshy projections - that pop through
4. If you have less than 15 you are a nontaster, if you have 15 to 30 papillae you are a taster and anything more than 30 means you are a supertaster
Place a hole over your tongue and count the number of papillae - small fleshy projections - that pop through
Advertisement
Previous studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb through inhaling and swallowing amniotic fluid.
However, these studies have been based on post-birth outcomes.
Instead, the researchers tested whether babies can taste in the womb by assessing their reactions to flavours prior to birth.
The team enlisted 100 pregnant women aged 18 to 40 and carried out 4D ultrasound scans at both 32 weeks and 36 weeks.
The women were given a single capsule 20 minutes before each scan containing either 400mg of carrot of 400mg of kale powder and were asked not to consume any other foods or flavoured drinks that could affect the babies' reactions.
Meanwhile, some women in a control group did not have either capsule.
