When Do Babies Develop Taste? Plus A Simple Recipe To Try

If you’re pregnant, you might spend time thinking about all of the exciting things baby is up to whilst they’re getting ready to come into the world. When will they open their eyes? When will they make a fist? Can they hear me yet?

Here’s one you might not have asked yourself yet: when can baby taste in the womb? Well, we have the answer & a recipe you and baby can both taste.

When do babies develop taste?

Taste buds form around 2 months of pregnancy, but it’s not until week 16 that small openings on the tongue called ‘taste pores’ form. These pores are needed to let flavors touch taste receptors on taste buds and give babies their first experience of flavor. They do have a dulled sense of taste at this point since they haven’t been exposed to smell outside the amniotic fluid, which is indeed their first taste — salty. How crazy this that?!

Babies develop other reflexes in the womb too — like the reflex smile. This is done with babies at random during the first few months after birth as well.

So can babies taste other things in the womb? Recent research says yes!

New research has been published that specifically studies babies’ ability to taste in the womb! Researchers are still trying to understand just how much the maternal diet impacts the health of babies during pregnancy, so to further understand this, researchers looked to see if babies in the womb changed facial expressions after mom consumed different foods using the advancements made in 4D ultrasound technology.

They studied 100 white British women (ages 18-40) in their 32-36th week of pregnancy and were either given a carrot capsule or kale capsule, and there was a control group that did not receive anything. Researchers performed 4D ultrasound scans 20 minutes after women swallowed the capsules and saw babies exposed to kale capsules exhibiting more frown-like behaviors, while those exposed to carrot capsule exhibited more smile-like behaviors. So maybe babies prefer carrots over kale?

What does this research mean for babies and taste?

This research is the first of its kind to establish a relationship between a mother consuming certain foods and the direct fetal facial responses in the womb.

Some people believe certain pregnancy eating habits could influence picky eaters and vice versa, those that are more prone to enjoying healthy foods because they were exposed during the womb. But there’s still so much left for us to understand about pregnancy and the power of flavors and the food we eat. Now that we know this, seeing how babies in other cultures respond to common flavors such as spiciness would be incredibly intriguing as well!

Want your baby to taste food in the womb? Try this classic Kale Chips Recipe:

Not only does the new research suggest that baby can taste kale in the womb, kale is also a giant in the nutrient department, and low in calories, which makes it a great snacking option; calcium for growing bones and teeth, Vitamins A and C to help your immune system and Vitamin K to keep your blood vessels strong.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 bag of kale

• Sea salt

Here’s how to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) and line a baking tray with parchment.

2. Using a knife or scissors, remove the stalks and cut the kale leaves into one-inch pieces.

3. Wash and dry the kale thoroughly on a towel or using a salad spinner — the drier the leaves, the better the chips!

4. Once dry, place the leaves in a bowl and drizzle with oil. Stir, covering the leaves in the oil as much as possible. Using your hands is the easiest way to do this.

5. Sprinkle with salt and toss lightly.

6. Place leaves evenly on the parchment and put in the oven for 15 minutes until brown but not burnt.

7. Enjoy!

What recipe will you and baby be trying? Let us know in the comments!

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