Baby brain: Pregnancy affects a woman’s memory and shrinks her brain

BABY brain does exist according to startling new research measuring significant drops in the memory of pregnant women.

BABY brain does exist with new research measuring significant drops in the memory of pregnant women.

The Deakin University study found the problem is at its worst in the third trimester of pregnancy and says more work is needed to see how its affects women’s daily lives.

The good news is that although women experience declines in memory and cognitive function their performance remains within the normal range.

PhD candidate Sasha Davies and colleagues at Deakin University undertook a meta-analysis of 20 studies that included a total of 709 pregnant and 521 non-pregnant women.

“General cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly reduced during the third trimester of pregnancy (compared with control women), but not during the first two trimesters,” the authors wrote.

A woman’s memory is affected by pregnancy, new research shows. Picture: iStock

The analysis found the memory performance of pregnant women appears to decline between the first and second trimesters but the decline either slowed or stopped from mid-pregnancy.

“The differences primarily develop during the first trimester and are consistent with recent findings of long term reductions in brain grey matter volume during pregnancy,” the authors say

Eight in ten pregnant women subjectively report they feel a decline in their cognitive abilities while pregnant including memory problems, reading difficulties, confusion, disorientation, poor concentration, increased absent-mindedness, and reduced motor co-ordination and forgetfulness.

Some women report difficulty with conversational fluency, they have to take more notes to remember work and home commitments, forget appointments and some have difficulty with reading comprehension, the study says.

“These small reductions in performance across their pregnancy will be noticeable to the pregnant women themselves and perhaps by those close to them, manifesting mainly as minor memory lapses (e.g., forgetting or failing to book medical appointments), but more significant consequences (e.g., reduced job performance or impaired ability to navigate complex tasks) are less likely,” co-author Dr Melissa Hayden says.

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Even though pregnant women have memory problems their brain still functions in the normal range. Picture: Getty Images.

A 2016 study by Netherlands researcher Elseline Hoekzema which used MRI scans to track brain changes in pregnant women found pregnancy was associated with reduced grey matter volume in the brain that lasted two years.

The shrinkage occurred in the area of the brain linked to empathy, the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another and understand how they feel.

Rather than losing brain cells, the study found the brain cells were reorganising to strengthen existing connections and become more efficient.

It suggests that the process helps prepare mothers to understand the needs of their newborn baby.

The Netherlands study found no difference in the performance of pregnant women, non pregnant women and men when they were given a series of verbal and working memory tests.

The Deakin University researchers says more work is needed in the area to understand the full effects of brain changes during pregnancy and their impact on women’s lives.

Originally published as Baby brain: Pregnancy affects a woman’s memory and shrinks her brain