Who would have thought that children have specific tastes even before they are born? This is at least what an English study based on a sample of 100 women tends to prove. The women were aged between 18 and 40 and were between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant. Published in the journal Psychological Science, various ultrasound scans show that the fetus reacts differently depending on what the mother eats.
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Fetuses prefer carrots to cabbage
In the experiment, the mothers were either given kale capsules, carrots capsules, or nothing at all before the ultrasound. The results of the investigation showed that the unborn babies preferred the taste of carrots to kale. As reported by The Guardian, the researchers said:
When the mother consumed a carrot capsule however, the foetuses adopted a laughter-like expression
In contrast, when the mothers ate kale, the fetus tended to have a 'crying expression.'
Better information on diet during pregnancy
According to Professor Benoist Schaal, from the National Centre for Scientific Research, University of Burgundy:
[They mean] the mother has not yet finished her meal [when] the foetus is already aware, or capable of sensing, what the mother has eaten.
The researchers say that their findings could help to better inform mothers about the importance of healthy eating during pregnancy. To support their research, the scientists began following the fetuses to analyse whether the overall diet of pregnant women could have an impact on the formation of the child's taste after birth.
This article was translated from Gentside FR.
Sources used:
The Guardian : Taste of kale makes unborn babies grimace, find research
BFMTV : Le goût du chou kale fait grimacer les fœtus dans le ventre de leur mère selon une étude
L’Essentiel : Dans le ventre de maman, bébé préfère les carottes aux choux
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