The Washington Post Oct. 8, 2021
Is there really such a thing as ‘mommy brain’?
by Jamie Friedlander Serrano
Small studies support the existence of a cognitive change after birth, causing forgetfulness, fogginess and a feeling of being scatterbrained. But more research needs to be done.
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Research findings and data from the National Library of Medicine
PubMed articles
Behav Neurosci JAN. 1, 2010
The plasticity of human maternal brain: longitudinal changes in brain anatomy during the early postpartum period
P Kim et al
Animal studies suggest that structural changes occur in the maternal brain during the early postpartum period in regions such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, parietal lobe …
Front Neuroendocrinol JAN. 1, 2019
The long and short term effects of motherhood on the brain
P Duarte-Guterman et al
Becoming a mother is associated with dramatic changes in physiology, endocrinology, immune function, and behaviour that begins during pregnancy and persists into the post …
Med J Aust JAN. 15, 2018
Cognitive impairment during pregnancy: a meta-analysis
SJ Davies et al
General cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly poorer in pregnant than in control women, particularly during the third trimester. The …
Sci Rep JUNE 9, 2021
The effect of pregnancy on maternal cognition
G Barda et al
To determine whether there are differences in measures of cognitive function between second and third trimester pregnant women compared to non-pregnant controls. This pro …
Nat Neurosci JAN. 1, 2017
Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure
E Hoekzema et al
Pregnancy involves radical hormone surges and biological adaptations. However, the effects of pregnancy on the human brain are virtually unknown. Here we show, using a pr …
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A JULY 8, 2014
Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences
E Abraham et al
Although contemporary socio-cultural changes dramatically increased fathers' involvement in childrearing, little is known about the brain basis of human fatherhood, its c …
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The Guardian DEC. 19, 2016
Pregnancy causes long-term changes to brain structure, says study
Decrease in volume of grey matter in certain areas of the brain could help boost a mother’s ability to care for her child, research suggests
CNN News FEB. 6, 2023
Stop calling it 'mommy brain' — scientists say the term is wrong and unfair to moms
The idea that motherhood is linked with a decline in cognitive abilities may be wrong and unfair to moms, write a team of scientists in an article released in the journal JAMA Neurology.
The Washington Post OCT. 12, 2023
New ‘brain atlas’ maps the highly complex organ in dazzling detail
A trove of new scientific studies paints the most detailed picture yet of the human brain.
