Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Flavor Learning In Utero and Its Implications for Future Obesity and Diabetes

Current Diabetes Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concept of prenatal flavor learning can be used to motivate women to eat healthy foods. The flavors of the foods in the maternal diet are found in the amniotic fluid swallowed by the fetus, with the fetus developing a preference for those flavors that is shown to persist in infancy. Furthermore, flavor preferences in infancy can persist into childhood and even into adulthood. Thus, the intrauterine environment may have a life-long influence on flavor preferences and healthy eating. This is an empowering concept for a pregnant woman: her baby will develop a preference for what she eats. However, education alone about this concept may not be sufficient to motivate behavior change. The evidence for health promotion strategies demonstrated to be effective in pregnancy is presented here, along with associated implications for prenatal flavor learning and the prevention of obesity and diabetes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •• Of major importance

  1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999–2004. JAMA. 2006;295(13):1549–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Esposito L, Fisher JO, Mennella JA, Hoelsher DM, Huang TT. Developmental perspectives on nutrition and obesity from gestation to adolescence. Prev Chronic Dis 2009: 6(3). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2009/jul09_0014.htm

  3. Briefel RR, Reidy K, Karwe V, Jankowski L, Hendricks K. Toddlers’ transition to table foods: Impact on nutrient intakes and food patterns. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104(1):S38–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved July 11, 2011 @ http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data.

  5. Dave JM, Evans AE, Saunders RP, Watkins KW, Pfeiffer KA. Associations among food insecurity, acculturation, demographic factors, and fruit and vegetable intake at home in Hispanic children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(4):697–701.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. •• Beauchamp GK, Mennella JA. Early flavor learning and its impact on later feeding behavior. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009; 48(Suppl 1): S25-S30. This is an excellent article that reviews the basic physiology of the chemical senses as they pertain to prenatal flavor learning.

  7. Rosenzweig MR, Leiman AL, Breedlove SM. Biological Psychology: An introduction to behavioral, cognitive and clinical neuroscience (1999, 2nd ed.) Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc.

  8. •• Todrank J, Heth G, Restrepo, D. Effects of in utero odorant exposure on neuroanatomical development of the olfactory bulb and odour preferences. Proc Biol Sci 2011 278(1714):1949–1955. This is an excellent study that describes specific neuroanatomical changes that occur with prenatal flavor learning in mice pups.

  9. Mennella JA, Johnson A, Beauchamp GK. Garlic ingestion by pregnant women alters the odor of amniotic fluid. Chem Senses. 1995;20(2):207–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Blackburn ST. Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Physiology: A Clinical Perspective (2007, 3rd edition) St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

  11. Blackburn ST. Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Physiology: A Clinical Perspective (2003, 2nd edition) St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

  12. Mennella JA, Jagnow CP, Beauchamp GK. Prenatal and postnatal flavor learning by human infants. Pediatrics. 2001;107(6):E88–93.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Yajnik CS. Nutrient-mediated teratogenesis and fuel-mediated teratogenesis: two pathways of intrauterine programming of diabetes. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2009;104:S27–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Trout KK, McGrath J, Flanagan J Costello M, Frey J. A pilot study to increase fruit and vegetable intake in pregnant Latina women. J Prim Care Community Health (2011, in press).

  15. Subar AF, Heimendinger J, Patterson BH, Krebs-Smith SM, Pivonka E, Kessler R. Fruit and vegetable intake in the United States: the baseline survey of the Five a Day for Better Health Program. Am J Health Promot. 1995;9(5):352–60.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Devine CM, Farrell TJ, Hartman R. Sisters in health: experiential program emphasizing social interaction increases fruit and vegetable intake among low-income adults. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2005;37(5):265–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Anderson JV, Bybee DI, Brown RM, McLean DF, Garcia EM, Breer ML, et al. 5 a day fruit and vegetable intervention improves consumption in a low income population. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101(2):195–202.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yancey AK, Kumanyika SK, Ponce NA, McCarthy WJ, Fielding JE, Leslie JP, Akbar J. Population-based interventions engaging communities of color in healthy eating and active living: a review. Prev Chronic Dis 2004; 1(1)A09.

  19. Xie B, Gilliland FD, Li Y-F, Rockett H. Effects of ethnicity, family income, and education on dietary intake among adolescents. Prev Med. 2003;36(1):30–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Pletsch P, Kratz A. Why do women stop smoking during pregnancy? Cigarettes taste and smell bad. Health Care Women Int. 2004;25(7):671–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Halterman J, Borrelli B, Conn K, Tremblay P, Blaakman S. Motivation to quit smoking among parents of urban children with asthma. Patient Educ Couns. 2010;79(2):152–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Heil S, Higgins S, Bernstein I, Solomom L, Rogers R, Thomas C, et al. Effects of voucher-based incentives on abstinence from cigarette smoking and fetal growth among pregnant women. Addiction. 2008;103(6):1009–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ruger J, Weinstein M, Hammond K, Kearney M, Emmons K. Cost-effectiveness of motivational interviewing for smoking cessation and relapse prevention among low-income pregnant women: a randomized control trial. Value Health. 2008;11(2):191–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Cassady D, Jetter KM, Culp J. Is price a barrier to eating more fruits and vegetables for low-income families? J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107(11):1909–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Herman DR, Harrison GG, Jenks E. Choices made by low-income women provided with an economic supplement for fresh fruit and vegetable purchase. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106(5):740–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Zenk SN, Schulz AJ, Israel BA, James SA, Bao S, Wilson ML. Fruit and vegetable access differs by community racial composition and socioeconomic position in Detroit, Michigan. Eth Dis. 2006;16:275–80.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Darmon N, Darmon M, Maillot M, Drewnowski A. A nutrient density standard for vegetables and fruits: nutrients per calorie and nutrients per cost. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(12):1881–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hartweg DL, Isabelli-Garcia C. Health perceptions of low-income, immigrant Spanish speaking Latinas in the United States. Hisp Health Care Int. 2007;5(2):52–63.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Fuentes-Afflick E, Hessol NA. Acculturation and body mass among Latina women. J Womens Health. 2008;17(1):67–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Lori J, Yi C, Martyn K. Provider characteristics desired by African American women in prenatal care. J Transcult Nurs. 2011;22(1):71–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Swindell J, McGuire A, Halpern S. Beneficent persuasion: techniques and ethical guidelines to improve patients’ decisions. Annals Fam Med. 2010;8(3):261–4.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Lavender T, Platt MJ, Tsekiri E, Casson I, Byrom S, Baker L, Walkinshaw S. Women’s perceptions of being pregnant and having pregestational diabetes. Midwifery. 2010;26:589–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Gollenberg A, Pekow P, Markenson G, Tucker K, Chasen-Tabor L. Dietary behaviors, physical activity, and cigarette smoking among pregnant Puerto Rican women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(6):1844–51.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Merzel C, English K, Moon-Howard J. Identifying women at-risk for smoking resumption after pregnancy. Matern Child Health. 2010;14(4):600–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Pletsch P. A model for postpartum smoking resumption prevention for women who stop smoking while pregnant. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2006;35(2):215–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclosure

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kimberly K. Trout.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trout, K.K., Wetzel-Effinger, L. Flavor Learning In Utero and Its Implications for Future Obesity and Diabetes. Curr Diab Rep 12, 60–66 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-011-0237-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-011-0237-4

Keywords

Navigation