If a Pregnant Woman Craves a Food and Doesn’t Eat It, Her Baby Will Have a Birthmark in Its Shape

The Craving Imprint Superstition

Details

According to traditional maternal folklore, if a pregnant woman craves a specific food and does not consume it, her baby will develop a birthmark resembling the shape of the denied item. This superstition often includes additional details:

The more intense the craving, the larger or more vivid the birthmark.
The body part touched during the craving determines the birthmark’s location.
Some traditions specify that the timing of the craving (early or late pregnancy) influences how noticeable or permanent the mark will be.

These beliefs extend to a wide range of foods, but particularly common examples include strawberries, chocolate, pickles, or meat. The birthmarks are often described as matching the color, texture, or outline of the craved food.

This superstition reflects the “maternal impression” theory, a once-dominant pre-modern belief that a pregnant woman’s thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations could directly influence the fetus’s development. In this framework, birthmarks are interpreted not as vascular or pigment-related phenomena, but as visible expressions of maternal longing or denial.

Historical Context

The idea that unfulfilled cravings cause birthmarks appears across multiple cultures:

In Latin America, these marks are called “antojos” (longings), believed to be caused by unsatisfied maternal desires.
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures hold similar views, often stressing the danger of denying pregnant women their cravings.
In medieval European medical thought, maternal impressions were widely accepted, and birthmarks were attributed to emotional or physical stimuli experienced by the mother.
In Asian traditions, particularly Chinese and Indian folklore, emotional distress or fixations during pregnancy were seen as causes of fetal markings or deformities.
Some folk midwifery manuals advised families to quickly fulfill a pregnant woman’s cravings—not only for her comfort, but to avoid birthmarks or worse outcomes.

This belief system helped explain the unpredictable nature of birthmarks in a pre-scientific era and likely increased attentiveness to pregnant women’s needs—a practical benefit reinforced through vivid and memorable consequences.

Modern Relevance

Though modern medicine explains birthmarks as the result of vascular malformations or pigmented cells, the belief in craving-related birthmarks remains widespread, particularly in:

Latin American, Middle Eastern, African, and Southern European communities
Rural and multigenerational households where traditional knowledge is passed orally
Popular culture, where birthmarks and cravings are still often linked in stories and media

Even among those who don’t believe it literally, the superstition is often cited humorously or affectionately as a justification for fulfilling pregnancy cravings. This belief serves a practical function: prioritizing the dietary needs of pregnant women, especially in resource-limited settings where direct discussion of maternal nutrition may not be culturally normalized.

It also demonstrates how bodily and psychological changes during pregnancy have historically been interpreted through symbolic and social frameworks, embedding health-related practices into culturally meaningful systems of belief.

Sources

Davis-Floyd, R. E. (2003). Birth as an American Rite of Passage. University of California Press.
Gonzalez-Crussi, F. (2008). On Being Born and Other Difficulties. Overlook Press.

Quick Facts

Related Superstitions

A baby’s future career or fate is predicted by the first object they select during a ceremonial setup.

In several Asian and Eastern European cultures, a traditional ceremony is held for babies usually around their first birthday. Known

Why Superstitions Persist in Modern Times

Despite widespread access to scientific knowledge and rational frameworks, superstitions continue to influence everyday behavior across cultures and demographics. From