Scientists have performed 4D ultrasound scans on 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies respond to the taste of the food their mothers eat. The research team performed 4D ultrasound scans of pregnant women’s abdomens and found that the fetuses responded favorably to the taste of kale and carrots! The research results were published in Psychological Science under the title “Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviors in the HumanFetus” (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Research results (Source: [1])
Beyza Ustun, a researcher at Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Laboratory, said: “Research shows that babies can taste and smell in utero, but based on postnatal outcomes, this study is This is the first study to find these responses before birth.” The researchers suggest that this repeated exposure to flavors before birth may help establish food preferences after birth, related to information on healthy dietary intake and how to avoid it when the fetus is weaned “Food picky” situation.
Shortly after the mother ingested the taste of carrots or kale, the researchers observed the fetuses’ response to the taste of carrots or kale and were pleasantly surprised: It’s amazing how life is truly amazing when a baby is born with a response to the taste of kale or carrots, sharing these moments with their parents.” The research team also included researchers from Aston University in Birmingham, UK, and the National Centre for Scientific Research, University of Burgundy, France. Scientists at 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy scanned mothers between the ages of 18 and 40 to see fetal facial responses to the taste of kale and carrots (Figures 2, 3).
Figure 2 The fetus’s facial (crying face) response to kale (Source: [1])
Figure 3 The fetus’s facial (smiley) response to kale (Source: [1])
About 20 minutes before each scan, the mothers took one capsule containing approximately 400 mg of carrot or 400 mg of kale powder and asked them not to eat any food or flavoring for an hour before the scan drinks.
Facial responses in both flavor groups, compared with control fetuses not exposed to either flavor, showed that exposure to just a small amount of carrot or kale flavor was sufficient to stimulate the response.
Study found:
■ Fetuses exposed to carrots showed a “smiley face” response, while fetuses exposed to kale showed more of a “crying face” response. This discovery led to the development of further understanding of human taste and smell receptors.
■The types of foods a pregnant woman eats may influence the baby’s taste preferences after birth and influence the development of healthy eating habits in the fetus.
■Humans experience taste through a combination of taste and smell. The fetus can develop the sense of smell and taste by inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the uterus.
Professor Nadja Reissland said: 4D ultrasound scans are a way to monitor fetal responses to maternal health behaviours such as smoking, as well as psychological conditions including stress, depression and anxiety healthy.
“This latest study may have important implications for understanding the earliest evidence that the fetus is able to perceive and differentiate between different tastes and odors from the food the mother eats. Looking at the fetus’ facial responses, it is possible to hypothesize that a Serial chemical stimuli are introduced into the fetal environment through the maternal diet. This has important implications for researchers to understand the development of taste and smell receptors and the associated perception and memory,” says Prof. Benoist Schaal.
The findings of this study also help inform mothers about the importance of taste and healthy eating during pregnancy. Researchers have now begun follow-up studies with the same babies after birth to see if the taste they experience in utero affects their receptivity to different foods.
Repeated prenatal flavor intake may lead to a preference for flavors experienced postpartum. In other words, exposing fetuses to less “favorite” flavors, such as kale, may mean they’re acclimated to them in utero. The researchers say the next goal is to examine whether fetuses show less ‘negative’ responses to these tastes over time, and thus their receptivity to these tastes the first time the baby tastes them outside the womb to a higher degree.
Written by Qiao Weijun
Typesetting|Mu Zijiu
References:
[1]Ustun B, Reissland N, Covey J, et al. Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviors in the Human Fetus. Psychol Sci. 2022 Sep 21:9567976221105460. doi: 10.1177/09567976221105460. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36130610.
This article is an original creation of biological exploration. Personal forwarding and sharing are welcome. If any other media or website needs to be reprinted, the source Biological Discovery must be indicated before the text.