In this study, a groups of infants were studied for their reactions and acceptance of cereal prepared with carrot juice about 4 weeks after their mothers began complementing their diet with cereal. The infants were never fed any carrot flavoured juices or food before.
For the study the infants were divided in two groups:
Group 1- The mothers of these infants drank 300 mL of carrot juice for 4 days per week for 3 consecutive weeks during the last trimester of pregnancy and water during lactation.
Group 2- The mothers of infants in this group drank water for 3 consecutive weeks during the last trimester of pregnancy and 300 mL of carrot juice during the first 2 months of lactation.
Group 3- This was the control group. The mothers of infants in this group drank water during both pregnancy and lactation.
The mothers rated the reactions of the infants after watching the video tapes of their babies being fed the cereal prepared with carrot juice. The results were as follows:
Group 3- The infants in this control groups displayed negative emotions on being fed cereal whether it was prepared with water or with carrot juice. They exhibited no difference of negative emotions when fed plain or carrot flavoured cereal.
Group 2- The infants in this group behaved differently than those in group 3. They exhibited fewer negative facial expressions while feeding the carrot-flavored cereal compared than cereal prepared with the plain cereal.
Group 1- The infants in this group behaved different from those in group 3 and group 2. They not only exhibited fewer negative facial expressions while feeding on carrot-flavored cereal compared with those in group 3, but they also were perceived by their mothers as enjoying the carrot-flavored cereal more compared with that prepared with plain water.
Conclusion: Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to a flavor enhanced the infants' enjoyment of that flavor in solid foods during weaning.
Reference:
Mennella, J. A., C. P. Jagnow, and G. K. Beauchamp. "Prenatal and Postnatal Flavor Learning by Human Infants." Pediatrics107, no. 6 (2001). doi:10.1542/peds.107.6.e88.
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