Infants develop sense of taste in utero

What pregnant women consume influences babies’ taste preferences after birth and potentially have implications for establishing healthy eating habits, says a study published in Psychological Science (September).

Researchers of Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, UK, examined 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to draw inferences on how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers. While humans experience flavour through a combination of taste and smell, in fetuses, this may happen through inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the womb.

“A number of studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on post-birth outcomes while our study is the first to see these reactions prior to birth. As a result, we think that this repeated exposure to flavours before birth could help to establish food preferences post-birth, which could be important when thinking about messaging healthy eating and the potential for avoiding ‘food-fussiness’ when weaning,” says Beyza Ustun, lead author of the study.

Melatonin not advisable for children

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, during the period 2012-2021, the number of cases reported to poison control centers and visits to the emergency room involving children ingesting over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin rose by 530 percent. By 2020, melatonin was the most common substance that children ingested in the US.

This is mostly because young children and teens are accidentally ingesting more of the supplement than is safe, according to CDC. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has advised parents to consult a doctor before giving children melatonin.

“The availability of melatonin as gummies or chewable tablets makes it more tempting to give them to children and more likely for them to overdose,” says Dr. Muhammad Adeel Rishi, a critical care specialist at Indiana University Health.

“Instead of resorting to melatonin, parents should work on encouraging their children to develop good sleep habits, by setting a regular bedtime and waking hours, establishing a bedtime routine, and limiting digital screen time as bedtime approaches,” advises Rishi.

Beware of children ingesting storage batteries
A new study conducted in the US by researchers at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide indicates that storage battery-related emergency room visits have doubled in the past decade compared with previous two decades. On average, a child visits the hospital every 1.25 hours for a battery-related accident. The study also revealed that 84 percent of patients in the past decade were five years of age or younger and tended to suffer more severe injuries than older children.

“We’re seeing more and more of these injuries come into our ERs and hospitals around the country. Children are at risk of serious injury and death if they ingest button batteries,” says Kris Jatana, lead project researcher at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and co-author of the study.

“The biggest danger is while it’s lodged in the oesophagus, Because of the passage of current from positive to negative pull in the battery, it produces hydroxide radicals, which changes the pH of the tissue, causing chemical burn,” adds Robert Kramer, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Hospital, Colorado.

Autistic children more damaged by air pollution
Autistic children exposed to air pollution for even brief periods may be at higher risk of being admitted to hospital, with boys more at-risk than girls, says a study published in BMJ Open (September).

The study, conducted by researchers of Seoul National University Hospital, Korea who examined official government data on daily hospital admissions of autistic children in the 5-14 years age group between 2011-2015, reveals that admissions for hyperactivity, aggression, or self-injury can be prevented by minimising children’s exposure to air pollution.

It is believed that short-term exposure to air pollution (days to weeks) can induce systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation, raising the risk of hospital admission of autistic individuals.