A new international study led by researchers at Durham University, along with colleagues in France and the Netherlands, suggests that the flavors a pregnant woman consumes may leave a lasting imprint on her child's food preferences. The research, published in the journal Appetite, indicates that exposure to certain vegetables during late pregnancy can shape a child's olfactory memory years after birth.
How the study worked
The team gave a group of pregnant women capsules containing either kale powder or carrot powder. Using ultrasound scans at 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, they recorded and coded the facial reactions of the foetuses after exposure to these flavors. The children were then observed again at around three weeks old, and most recently, 12 of the children were studied at the age of three.
For the latest stage, researchers held wet cotton swabs dipped in either carrot or kale powder under each child's nose. Their reactions were filmed and analyzed, with researchers looking for facial expressions categorized as either a “laughter face” or a “cry face.” The team then compared these responses with the reactions recorded before birth and shortly after birth.
The results showed a clear pattern: children who had been exposed to carrots before birth reacted more positively to the smell of carrots at age three, while showing a more negative reaction to kale. Conversely, children exposed to kale in the womb responded more positively to kale than to carrots.
Implications for parents
“From this we can suggest that being exposed to a particular flavour in late pregnancy can result in long-lasting flavour or odour memory in children, potentially shaping their food preferences years after birth,” said Nadja Reissland, the lead author and a psychologist at Durham University. The findings add to earlier research indicating that babies can sense flavors from their mother's diet before birth, which could be useful for parents trying to encourage children to accept vegetables.
However, the research team cautioned that the study involved a small sample of mothers and children. They also noted that more work is needed to understand whether repeated exposure to certain flavors during pregnancy affects how much children actually eat those vegetables later in life, and whether other factors, such as genetics, play a role.
This study is part of a growing body of research on early-life influences on health and behavior. For instance, a separate study from University College London found that weekly arts engagement is linked to slower biological aging, highlighting how diverse experiences can shape long-term outcomes.
The research also underscores the importance of maternal diet during pregnancy, a topic that has gained attention in European public health discussions. While the study's sample size limits its generalizability, it offers a promising avenue for future investigations into how prenatal nutrition can influence children's eating habits and potentially combat childhood obesity.
