Does Pregnancy Permanently Alter Parents’ Brains?

In recent years, we have heard more and more about how pregnancy has changed the structure of the human brain. The idea that a mother's brain changes during pregnancy may seem surprising, but it is however.

[Article issu de The Conversation, écrit par Jodi Pawluski, Affiliated Researcher, Université de Rennes]

Recent research has again highlighted the extent of these brain changes, noting that few brain areas are spared by transition to maternity and that the most important structural changes occur during the third trimester of pregnancy .

The most convincing results to date on how the brain is changing during pregnancy concern the extent of changes in gray matter volumes (composed of neurons, glial cells and synapses) in a number of brain regions in future mothers.

Research has documented brain changes during pregnancy (from pregrossese to postpartum), showing that there are significant reductions in gray matter volumes, at a rate of 1 %, in many areas of the brain, but Especially in those that are important for certain aspects of social behavior. These brain areas play an important role in the ability to mentalize or cognitively deduce the needs of others and are therefore essential for certain aspects of care.

It may seem surprising that the areas of the brain important for care are reduced, but we must remember that the size does not dictate the function and, in fact, shows that the brain of the pregnant woman becomes more effective.

Indeed, we observe in general mothers and parents, increased cognitive and emotional capacities which are associated with remarkable changes in the brain. Thus, the structural changes of the brain that occur during pregnancy represent a “fine adjustment” of the brain or an adaptation to this transition from life.

This “fine adjustment” can be observed directly in associations between the structural decreases in the volume of gray matter and increases in the quality of the mother-child relationship.

In addition, these structural adaptations are observed in almost all mothers. They occur at a pace similar to that which we observe in adolescence, and can persist for years after birth.

Finally, recent research shows that these reductions in volumes of gray matter are more pronounced at the end of pregnancy and can be affected by the method of delivery in the immediate postpartum period.

The possible link with aspects of mental health and maternal well-being remains to be determined.

Functional and structural changes of the brain which also affect fathers

Brain activity, not just its size, is another factor to take into account in the context of maternity and parenting. Recent research shows that mothers and fathers have generalized functional changes during pregnancy and the postnatal period in brain areas that are important for children's education.

In fact, fathers also have a decrease in the volume of gray matter in certain areas of the brain (although to a lesser extent that during pregnancy) and these structural and functional changes of the brain in fathers are linked to time they spend to take care of their child and their involvement concerning their role as father.

The ability of pregnancy to reshape the human brain is fascinating, but beyond that, it is a call to remind us that becoming a mother-and parent-is a transformative experience that is necessary to coordinate neural mechanisms complexes that are essential to life.