Petite village

Good Taste Buds from Birth

   by Dr. Susanna Block

 

Do you remember your first taste of curry? When did you discover you loved dill or cinnamon? Would your eating habits be different now if your introduction to food had been squash flavored with chili and cilantro? Taste is, perhaps, the most overlooked sense in infant development. Parents speak, read and sing to their children. They cradle them and teach them letters, animals and numbers; they play peak-a-boo, introduce primary colors, play baby Mozart, hang mobiles and generally wear themselves out trying to introduce babies to the world via their senses. Taste, however, is often completely neglected.

 

Evidence suggests that early exposure to different flavors creates eating patterns that may last into childhood and beyond.  Babies are first introduced to varied flavors through breast milk and possibly even prenatally through amniotic fluid (1,2).  Prenatal studies show that infants begin developing their taste buds in the womb.  It is likely that by the time they are born, their palates have already begun to mature. This process has the evolutionary benefit of teaching babies the flavor of “safe” foods before they have even begun to wean.  Babies are also beginning to learn the specific flavors reflected by the culture they are about to enter. This taste memory bank helps ease the transition into a solid food diet (3). Studies have researched mothers who consume large amounts of garlic or anise during pregnancy or breastfeeding and have found that their children will usually have a preference for those flavors (4,5,6)

 

The idea that early infant taste development may correlate with infant obesity is an emerging concept.  Babies start learning about safe and healthy flavors through exposure to amniotic fluid and breast milk.  At six months of age, most babies are introduced to their first solid foods.  The transition to solids begins an interesting period where babies begin expressing their first preferences. Highly processed, sweetened and carbohydrate rich baby foods are readily available on the market today, creating the false impression that these options are a desirable food transition. Unfortunately, they lay the foundation for a lifetime of poor food choices both through limited taste development and repeated exposure.  Increasing concerns about the problem of obesity among young children is born from recent statistics showing that 26 percent of children from two to five years of age are at risk of becoming overweight (7). This evidence supports an emerging idea that the time between six months and two years is when children go through the most rapid taste development. This crucial period lays the blueprints for children’s lifetime eating patterns.

 

Currently in the United States the period from six months to two years includes transitioning 80 percent of their calories from milk to 80 percent their of calories to table foods and sweetened drinks (8).  Sugar and salt are widely used in mainstream baby and toddler foods.  This disturbing trend only teaches babies that salt and sugar are accepted and desirable while simultaneously stunting their desire for whole foods flavored with herbs and spices.   A recent study found that infants from 12-24 months consumed 31 percent more calories than required by their estimated energy requirement (9).  The same study found that infant consumption of fruits and vegetables declined from eight months of age and by 24 months, 33 percent of the toddlers did not consume fruits or vegetables in any form.  Sweetened beverages and sweetened, processed foods make up the bulk of American toddlers’ diets. This study begs the issue; attention to food freshness and flavor for infants and toddlers is a crucial measure in preventing obesity and associated health consequences. The introduction of healthy foods and interesting flavors at infancy will lay the groundwork for a healthy adulthood.

 

Babies who learn to enjoy complex flavors as their palate develops will form good eating habits for life, seeking natural flavors, rather than quantity. Experiencing diverse flavors at a young age not only forms life-long healthy eating habits but also expands children’s minds. The global community we live in provides us with opportunity to experience other cultures through a variety of senses everyday. Food is also an easy way to introduce babies to diversity and expand their growing view of the world around them.

 

Dr. Susanna Block is a Pediatrician in Seattle who recently launched Dr. Susanna’s World Baby Foods. This all-natural, organic baby food incorporates the flavors and cuisines of the world. To learn more, visit www.worldbabyfoods.com.

 

 

1. Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. Maternal diet alters the sensory qualities of human milk and the nurselings behavior. Pediiatrics. 1991;88:737-744
2. Mennella JA, Beauchamp GK. Prenatal and Postnatal flavor learning by human infants. Pediatrics. 2001;107:E88
3. Mennella JA, Turnbull B, Ziegler PJ, Martiez H. Infant feeding practices and early flavor experiences in Mexican infants: an intra-cultural study. Journal of American Dietetic Association. 2005;105-908-915
4. Hepper PG. Adaptive fetal learning:prenatal exposure to garlic affects postnatal preferences. Animal Behavior. 1988;36:935-936
5. Schaal B, Marlier L, Soussignan R. Human fetuses learn odos from their pregnant mother’s diet. Chemical Senses. 2000;25:729-737
6. Mennella, JA. Mother's milk: a medium for early flavor experiences. J Hum Lact 1995; 11:39.
7. Ogden C, Flegal K, Carroll M, Johnson C. Prevalece and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of American Medical Association. 2002;288:1729-1732
8. Fox MK, Pac S, Devaney B, Jankowski L, Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study: what foods are infants and toddlers eating? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004;104:S22-S30
9. Devaney B, Ziegler P, Pac S, Karwe V, Barr SI. Nutrient intakes of infants and toddlers. Journal of the American Dietetiic Association. 2004;104:S14-S21