In plain words
Antojos is a Spanish word for food cravings, and it is especially used for cravings during pregnancy. In many Latino families, a craving is a message and is taken seriously. Some traditions say that an unmet craving can affect the baby, including a belief that it can leave a birthmark. Others see the craving as a way of caring for the mother's body. Cravings are common in pregnancy and are documented across cultures. Research has not found that an unmet craving marks a baby. Enjoying a craved food is common, and a provider or registered dietitian can talk through any worry about what a mother is eating.
The deeper version
Antojos (singular antojo) denotes food cravings. In Mexican and Latin American folk practice, it is linked to belief systems in which unmet maternal desires may affect the fetus, including the birthmark belief. Parallel traditions include the Italian voglie and other beliefs documented in ethnographic literature. Hormes and colleagues' cross-cultural work characterizes pregnancy cravings as common across populations, with sweet, salty, and sour foods frequently reported, and aversions often co-occurring. No biological evidence supports birthmark causation by unmet cravings. Proposed mechanisms include hormonal shifts and changes in smell and taste, with direct evidence limited. The controversy concerns how clinicians should address cravings and aversions in counseling, respecting tradition without dismissing nutritional concerns.
Where it comes up
- Cravings and food aversionsPregnancy: Eating
- Traditional pregnancy foods across culturesPregnancy: Eating
What mothers here say about antojos
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Hormes JM and colleagues — Cross-cultural research on pregnancy cravings and aversions (2011)