What a Mother Eats during Pregnancy Influences her Baby's Brain

We've always known that eating healthy foods during pregnancy is important for the child. Now there's a proof - at least in mice - that we are indeed what our mothers eat.

A study on mice pups shows that what their mothers eat during pregnancy has a direct influence on the pups' sense of smell. The mother's diet changes the pups' brain, influencing what they choose to eat and drink when they get weaned from milk.

Scientists claim that the odors from food enter the amniotic fluid; these in turn affect the way the pups develop. When a mother mouse is given a flavored diet during pregnancy,her pups tend to develop a similar sense of smell and taste for food.

Significant changes are also found in the structure of the brain's olfactory glomeruli, which processes smells and tastes.

The study suggests that pregnant mothers have to be careful about maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy and refraining from using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

Researchers claim that same situation can be found in humans because of similarities in mammalian development.