Final answer:
Newborns have a preference for sweet solutions, due to their exposure to various flavors in utero and the sensitivity of their gustatory cells to sweet-tasting molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the text provided, neonates (newborns) have a taste preference for sweet solutions. This preference is thought to arise due to the prenatal exposure to various flavors through amniotic fluid, which changes taste with different foods consumed by the mother. Newborns are therefore more accustomed to and show a liking for sweet tastes, a result of the sensitivity of gustatory cells to glucose and other sweet molecules such as fructose, aspartame, saccharine, or sucralose. These sweet compounds activate the sweet receptors, which are G protein-coupled receptors, leading to the excitation of the specialized neurons associated with the sweet taste.