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‘Baby Brain’ Is A Real Thing

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Women supposedly experience a decline in cognitive abilities while pregnant, resulting in a phenomenon dubbed “baby brain” or “momnesia.” Symptoms include trouble remembering things, difficulty focusing or reading, confusion and forgetfulness.

Studies have previously doubted the validity of such a thing as baby brain, but a previous study reported that between 50 to 80% of women have experienced the phenomenon, Medical News Today reports.

Experiencing this can interfere with an expectant mother’s daily life. Many women with “baby brain” have stated that they were less coherent and efficient at work, forgot their appointments, or could not even go to work at all because of these cognitive difficulties.

Still, there have been scientists disputing that baby brain is a myth. Researchers from Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, decided to conduct a meta-analysis of 20 studies to see if the phenomenon holds water, focusing on research that linked pregnancy and cognition.

Sasha Davies, first author on the study, and colleagues examined studies that involved 709 pregnant women and 521 non-pregnant women as the control group. The focus was on general cognitive function, defined “as encompassing a range of processes, including memory, attention, executive functioning, processing speed, and verbal and visuospatial abilities.”

In addition, the studies also looked thoroughly at memory, attention span and executive function, or the ability to plan, move with flexibility from one idea to another, problem-solve, and the power of abstraction.

The researchers found that “[g]eneral cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly poorer in pregnant than in control women, particularly during the third trimester.”

The authors added,

The differences primarily develop during the first trimester, and are consistent with recent findings of long-term reductions in brain gray matter volume during pregnancy.

The team does recommend further investigation into the matter, particularly on how baby brain affects daily lives, and warn that interpretation of the results should be done with caution.

Melissa Hayden, co-author, said, “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. More significant consequences are less likely.”

The study was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

 

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