Recently (January 2019), an article appeared in the NY State Dental Journal written by a pedodontist, who practices in New York City, Dr. Sue Babish. She presented research that discussed the relationship between what a mother eats and food preferences that might be ingrained in the developing baby.
This is an intriguing idea. It is just one more instance, like the possible far-reaching effects of the bacteria that live in the mouth and cause periodontal disease, where something that occurs in one part of the body and is unseen and unfelt by us, has influence in other parts of the body or, as in the case of the developing baby, an entirely separate and distinct body.
Apparently, some of the nutrients we eat make their way into the amniotic fluid surrounding the developing baby as well as, of course, through the umbilical cord into the baby itself. This effect may be continued after delivery because these nutrients also find their way into breast milk and an excess of these nutrients may continue to influence the baby’s food preferences.
There is evidence that, after the second trimester, the baby can begin to taste these nutrients. If the mother is eating a lot of sugar-containing foods, the baby can taste these sugars and may start to develop a preference for foods that contain sugar. This may evolve into a life-long preference for sugary foods, which could also affect their oral health. In turn, this preference for sugary foods may be one of the reasons that today there are so many people that are severely overweight. This is extremely interesting since a medical solution to obesity has eluded us. It is also of extreme importance since obesity is strongly linked to so many other medical problems like heart disease, diabetes, circulatory problems, and orthopedic problems.
In my mind, this is certainly something to reflect on and pass along to expectant mothers. If they can control their sugar intake during pregnancy, not only will it benefit their health (less weight gain during pregnancy) but may have the added benefit of helping their offspring control their weight and keep it in a healthy range for a lifetime, with all the associated benefits.