Cravings Serious During Pregnancy

No one craves specific foods as seriously or with as much determination as a pregnant woman.

Not only are all hormones at full throttle, but the protective, nourishing instinct has kicked in, says Patricia Pliner, a professor of social psychology at the University of Toronto.

The most frequent cravings are for fruit and fruit juices, chocolate and dairy products, in that order. Once the second trimester begins, cravings zoom, she said.

Greasy and fried foods are at the other end of the scale. Among pregnant women studied, the distaste for those foods was just as strong as the cravings for desired foods.

And nowhere in her extensive research, Pliner added, did she come across anyone with a particular interest in dill pickles.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Suzanne Hamlin New York Times Service