Study Reveals Babies React To Taste, Smell In Womb

Bhubaneswar: A study led by England’s Durham University’s Foetal and Neonatal Research Lab has revealed that unborn babies react differently after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers.

According to reports, the research team scanned some mothers to see foetal facial reactions to 400g of kale powder and 440g of carrot flavours. For the survey, 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women at 32 and 36 weeks were conducted.

The mothers also did not eat or drink anything containing carrot or kale on the day of their scans to control for factors that could affect foetal reactions.

Facial reactions seen in both flavour groups, compared with foetuses in a control group who were not exposed to either flavour, showed that exposure to just a small amount of carrot or kale flavour was enough to stimulate a reaction.

The research also suggested that what mothers eat during their pregnancy could influence babies’ taste preferences after birth.

“A number of studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on post-birth outcomes while our study is the first to see these reactions prior to birth,” postgraduate Beyza Ustun, who led the research, told Cosmopolitan.

The researchers say their findings might also help with information given to mothers about the importance of taste and healthy diets during pregnancy.

They are likely to conduct a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth to see if the influence of flavours they experienced in the womb affects their acceptance of different foods.

The research team also included scientists from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, and the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France.