Unborn babies prefer carrots over greens, and they express this preference through their facial expressions. This intriguing discovery is considered the first evidence that children can react to flavors before birth.
New research shows that fetuses can react to flavors before birth.
A team of scientists at Durham University (UK) studied 4D ultrasound images of 100 pregnant women and found that fetuses exposed to the flavor of carrots responded with smiles. In contrast, those exposed to the flavor of kale showed more of a “grimace.”
Lead researcher Beyza Ustun stated: “Some studies have indicated that babies can taste and smell flavors in the womb, but these findings were based on postnatal data, whereas our study is the first to discover these reactions before birth.”
According to her, repeated exposure of fetuses to flavors before birth may help children develop food preferences after they are born. This could be significant for promoting healthy eating messages and helping children avoid picky eating after weaning.
The research team believes this new finding could enhance our understanding of taste and smell development, as well as human cognition and memory.
In addition to the team from Durham University, researchers from the National Center for Scientific Research in Burgundy, France, also participated in this study.
