For those who were interested in whether babies like the taste of amniotic
fluid (sucking their fists after birth), there is an interesting article
you might like to read:

Varendi H, Porter RH and Windberg J. Attractiveness of amniotic fluid odor:
evidence of prenatal olfactory learning? Acta Paediactrica 1996;
85:1223-1227.

As I remember, (I don't have the article here with me) the researchers
swabbed one nipple of the mother with amniotic fluid, placed the newborn
baby on mother's midline, and observed that the babies preferentially
latched on to the nipple that had the amniotic fluid odor.

This sounds like it goes along with what you observed, with fist sucking,
but relying on odor rather than taste.  I don't understand how babies can
smell in utero, though, if they are not breathing.

Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC and LLL leader in Madison, WI
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