'Baby Brain' Is Real, Scientists

Confirm, And We May Finally Know

Why
HEALTH 23 November 2022 By MIKE MCRAE

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The mental fog that can come with pregnancy – commonly referred to as 'baby
It's Official: Scientists Confirm a
brain' – isn't merely the result of discomfort, stress, and sleepless nights: A
New Expanded Scale of
mother's brain really does seem to change to accommodate the new arrival. Measurement
A new study by researchers from the Netherlands has uncovered strong PHYSICS 3 days ago
evidence of a relationship between surges in pregnancy hormones and
changes to the architecture in areas of the brain involved with contemplation Ancient Roman Roads Still Have a
and daydreaming. Mysterious Effect, Even When They
Vanish
Putting aside the forgetfulness and difficulty maintaining focus, the HUMANS 3 days ago
modifications could be nature's way of helping mothers bond with their new
bundle of joy.

Anecdotes of absent-mindedness during pregnancy are universal, informally

described with terms like 'mommy brain' and 'momnesia'. As common as the
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Leiden University neuroscientist Elseline Hoekzema has researched the
neurological changes that
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A 2016 study led by Hoekzema showed how pregnancy coincided with
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"During pregnancy, a woman is exposed to an unparalleled flood of

hormones," Hoekzema said in 2020, following a €1.5 million European
Research Council grant for continuing research into pregnancy and
neurological change. MORE OPTIONS AGREE

"Animal studies have shown that these hormones trigger far-reaching changes
in the maternal brain and behavior. In previous studies, we discovered that
pregnancy renders long-lasting changes in human brain structure."

For this latest study, Hoekzema and her colleagues mapped the brains of 40
mothers with MRI scans. They conducted the scans during pre-pregnancy and
pre- and post-birth, including imaging a whole year after the baby's delivery.

These scans were compared with similar images taken from a sample of 40
women who weren't pregnant at the time of the study.

Hormones were tested through urine samples every two to four weeks
throughout the test group's pregnancy. The mothers' attachments to their
babies – nesting behaviors, sleep patterns, and levels of psychological distress
– were analyzed through surveys and questionnaires.

Based on the results of the 28 volunteers who completed the study, pregnancy
hormones don't just tweak the brain's 'thinking' cells: They appear to change
the very way the brain networks together.

These changes are most pronounced between regions of the brain referred to
collectively as the Default Mode Network, which activates when focusing shifts
from the outside world to inner thoughts.

While it's known that sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone strongly
influence the pruning and shaping of our neurological gardens, this new study
demonstrates precisely how fluctuating pregnancy hormones, such as
estradiol, hold particularly strong sway over specific regions of the brain.

Just why a growing baby might want momma to become a little vague during
pregnancy isn't obvious. But the questionnaire results might provide something
of a clue.

Responses from the new mothers suggested having baby brain might help with
the bonding experience, facilitating behavioral changes that make those
stressful months of adjusting to a newborn just a little easier.

"These findings suggest that the neural changes of pregnancy may render a
blueprint that facilitates the subsequent development of the mother-infant
relationship, which could then potentially be further reinforced by the
interaction with the infant," the authors write.

Demonstrating a clear cause-and-effect relationship in studies like these is

challenging, making conclusions like these largely speculative. Further studies
based on larger groups, perhaps with better analytical tools for diving deep into
changes on a cellular level, might help support or refute the interpretations.

For now, we all need to be a little more forgiving of moms-to-be when they
tune out of conversations or forget where they put their keys. It could be their
brain making room for another tiny human to love.

This research was published in Nature Communications.