13th October 2008
Giving birth makes mothers smarter
Giving birth
supercharges brain power to equip women for the challenge of rearing their child,
according to scientists.
The same researchers found that women often experienced
a decline in mental abilities during pregnancy, thought to be a result of the
brain being remodelled.
But after birth, the size and shape of many areas
of the brain alters, producing a sudden surge of memory and learning ability that
makes mothers more vigilant and alert.
The increase in the size of some
brain cells is thought to be as a result of hormonal fluctuations during birth
and breastfeeding, and the changes last for decades, protecting against degenerative
diseases later in life.
Studies on animals including rats and primates
found mothers become much braver, are up to five times faster at finding food
and have better spatial awareness than those without offspring.
Craig Kinsley,
professor of neuroscience at the University of Richmond, Virginia, said he believed
the same results applied to humans. ‘Pregnant women do undergo a phase of so-called
baby brain, when they experience an apparent loss of function,’ he said.
‘However,
this is because their brains are being remodelled for motherhood to cope with
the many new demands they will experience.
‘Many benefits seem to emerge
from motherhood, as the maternal brain rises to the reproductive challenge. When
the going gets tough, the brain gets going.
‘The changes could last for
the rest of their lives, bolstering cognitive abilities and protecting them against
degenerative diseases.’
He added: ‘Although most studies have so far focused
on animals, it is likely women also gain long-lasting benefits from motherhood.
Most mammals share similar maternal behaviours controlled by the same brain regions.’
Another study by the University of Toronto has found rats that had given
birth were protected against degenerative diseases, with lower levels of a protein
linked with Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
Dr Kinsley will report his findings
to the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting next month.
Where
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- Go shopping on babyworld for some bargains? babyworld
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