Young children have long-lasting memories of vegetable smells experienced in the womb

13 May 2026

A young boy wearing glasses and sitting at a table eats a green vegetable from a plate full of vegetables.

Experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavours before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born, according to new research led by our Department of Psychology.

Researchers found that young children are less likely to react negatively to the smell of vegetables they were repeatedly exposed to in the womb.

They say their findings could have implications for establishing healthy eating habits in children.

Facial reactions

The researchers examined the facial reactions of 12 three-year-olds to the non-bitter smell of carrot or the bitter smell of kale.

This followed two previous studies when they recorded the reactions of the same children to carrot or kale – before birth using ultrasound, and again at about three weeks after birth.

They found that the three-year-olds whose mothers had taken carrot powder capsules as part of a controlled experiment when pregnant were less likely to show negative facial reactions towards the smell of carrot.

Similarly, those whose mothers had taken kale powder capsules while pregnant reacted less negatively to the smell of kale.

Close up of a young child's face reacting to carrot or kale smells.

A three-year-old, whose mother took carrot capsules during pregnancy as part of a controlled experiment, reacts more favourably to the smell of carrot than kale. Credit: FETAP (Fetal Taste Preferences) Study, Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Durham University.

A young child shows different facial reactions to kale or carrot smells.

A three-year-old, whose mother took kale capsules during pregnancy as part of a controlled experiment, reacts more favourably to the smell of kale than carrot. Credit: FETAP (Fetal Taste Preferences) Study, Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Durham University.

Long-lasting odour or flavour memory

The researchers say their latest finding supports the argument that exposure to flavours in late pregnancy can result in long-lasting odour or flavour memory in children.

They add that experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavours before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born.

The researchers say further work would be needed to see if the effect of prenatal exposure on children’s facial responses to vegetable odours has a meaningful effect on vegetable consumption.

Find out more

Read the full study in the journal Developmental Psychobiology.
The research was led by Professor Nadja Reissland in our Department of Psychology.
Our Department of Psychology is ranked 70^thin the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and 12^th in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2026. Visit our Psychology webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
The study also included researchers from our Department of Mathematical Sciences; Aston University and the University of Cambridge, UK; Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands; and the Centre for Taste, Smell and Feeding Behaviour Science, sponsored by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. The research was funded by a grant from Aston University.
Read more about our two previous studies looking at the reactions of the same children to carrot or kale – before birth and again at about three weeks after birth.