Dijon, France -- Babies acquire a taste for certain foods while still in their mother's womb, researchers have found. New Scientist magazine reports on the work of a team from the European Centre for Taste Science in Dijon, France.

They tested the response of 24 new-born babies. Half of the babies' mothers had eaten anise - the main flavour of aniseed - during their pregnancy, and the other half had not.

The infants were exposed to anise odour immediately after birth and again four days afterwards, to see if they showed an attraction or aversion to the smell. In both cases, infants born to anise-consuming mothers turned towards the smell, but those whose mothers did not eat anise either ignored it or turned away.

Lead researcher Dr Benoist Schaal said the research provided the first firm scientific evidence that maternal diet can influence the food preferences of babies. He said: "The evidence in humans was largely anecdotal."

Dr Schaal said the finding suggested a variety of chemical information may be passed from the mother to the developing child. It might also help to explain how addiction for certain substances might be passed from mother to baby in the womb.

Colette Kelly, a nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation, said: "Once a baby is born the types of food its mother likes are important because she will obviously prepare them for her child too. But we cannot say for certain that what a mother eats during pregnancy has any effect on the child's tastes."

Ms Kelly stressed it was important for all pregnant women to eat a healthy, balanced diet.