Can babies taste in the womb?

When your baby’s taste buds form

Your baby's tongue starts taking shape when you're just 4 to 5 weeks pregnant. When you’re 8 weeks pregnant, primitive taste buds appear, and many more develop between weeks 11 through 13, but they're not yet able to transmit actual taste sensations. That won't begin to happen until weeks 14 to 15, when nerve cells start making connections between the developing buds and the nerves that send taste messages to your baby's brain.

By about 30 weeks, many of your baby's taste buds – and their nerve connections – are fully formed and operational.

Can babies taste in the womb?

In a way, yes – babies can taste in the womb. Molecules of the food you eat pass through your bloodstream and into the amniotic fluid. Flavors are transmitted from your diet to amniotic fluid in the womb and breast milk after birth.

The senses of smell and taste are very closely connected. Taste buds allow us to tell if something is sweet or bitter, salty, or sour, but smell helps us identify the specific flavor of food. The special cells that your baby needs for their sense of smell start developing around weeks 9 to 11 of pregnancy.

If you’re craving spicy curry and putting hot sauce on everything, don’t worry. Although your baby can detect some flavors and smells, there's no evidence that spicy food can harm your baby. (It might, however, make you uncomfortable: Hot and spicy foods can aggravate morning sickness and heartburn, a common complaint during pregnancy.)

At birth, your baby's new taste buds are very sensitive, and they can taste sweet, sour, and bitter flavors. Babies universally prefer sweet, which is one reason they love the taste of your breast milk. Your baby probably won't be able to detect salty flavors until they’re about 2 to 6 months old.

Can you influence your baby’s sense of taste?

Can what you eat during pregnancy influence the flavors your baby will enjoy later in life? Some research indicates yes. In a small study of pregnant women, those who drank carrot juice during the last weeks of pregnancy and while they were breastfeeding had babies who appeared to prefer carrot-flavored cereal over plain cereal at 6 months of age.

Experiments also have been done with garlic, anise (a licorice-flavored spice), mint, and vanilla. Infants who were exposed to these tastes in the womb tended to prefer these flavors both in breast milk and in solid food.

How to support your baby's taste bud development

The foods you eat during pregnancy could influence your baby’s sense of taste and which flavors your child will prefer later in life. But don't stress about it too much (morning sickness and food aversions can derail your typical eating patterns). Just try your best to eat a diet during pregnancy that's as varied and healthy as possible. Doing so will help you get plenty of the vitamins and minerals essential for baby’s health, too.

The six most important nutrients for your baby’s development during pregnancy are:

• Folic acid
• Iron
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• DHA
• Iodine

Take your prenatal vitamin every day and talk with your healthcare provider about whether you’re getting enough of these essential nutrients for baby’s growth. And finally, just keep in mind the basic food safety rules for pregnancy. No runny eggs or unpasteurized cheese, for example, and be sure to limit your caffeine consumption.

Key milestones in baby taste bud development