Final answer:
The statement is false, as flavors from a mother's diet can impact a newborn's taste preferences through changes in the amniotic fluid. The introduction of breast milk or formula also initializes the establishment of the newborn's gut flora, affecting future taste preferences and digestion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that things the mom digests cannot have an impact on the taste preference of the babies is false. Newborns can respond to different tastes such as sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. They generally show a preference for sweet tastes. Interestingly, they also show a preference for the smell of foods that their mother ate regularly during pregnancy. This suggests that the flavors of the food the mother consumes can translate to the amniotic fluid and influence the baby's taste preferences.
Moreover, while the fetal intestine is initially sterile, at birth, the consumption of breast milk or formula introduces beneficial bacteria into the neonatal gastrointestinal tract, helping establish important bacterial flora. These initial exposures can have a lasting impact on a child's future taste preferences and digestive health.