Even fetuses can be picky eaters. A study published this Wednesday in the scientific journal psychological science he observed by ultrasound the reactions of fetuses whose mother ate kale, carrots, or nothing.
“We found that when fetuses were exposed to carrot aroma, they were more likely to exhibit ‘smiley face’ type reactions,” the scientists explain.
In contrast, “when exposed to the aroma of kale, they were more likely to exhibit ‘cry-face’-type reactions.”
To conduct the experiment, the study authors studied the fetuses of 100 women, ages 18 to 40 and 32 to 36 weeks pregnant, who lived in northeast England. They had eaten nothing for an hour before the procedure, which involved swallowing a capsule of kale or carrot powder. The scientists also studied the ultrasound scans of a control group, which had not eaten anything.
very clear results
The paper is billed as “the first longitudinal study to indicate that fetuses are capable of detecting chemosensory information before birth” from the mother’s diet.
In other words, the study confirms that fetuses can detect the taste of food well. He also believes that the different reactions of the fetuses show that they could way tastes before his birth.
“We also found that facial responses to flavors became more complex as fetuses matured,” the authors explain.
The clarity of the results was surprising, said the guardian Benoist Schaal, member of the research team: “The fetus is already conscious or can smell what the mother has eaten before the mother has finished her meal.”
Beyza Ustun, another author of the study, said the team is now looking to explore how babies react after birth to different tastes. “Hopefully we’ll see fewer negative reactions, if they were exposed to kale before birth,” she explained to the magazine. Guardian.
Source: BFM TV
