Can pregnancy shrink a woman’s brain? New study reveals impact on gray matter

The study was carried out over five sessions – before conception, second trimester, third trimester, one month postpartum, and six months postpartum.

Globally, more than 140 million females give birth yearly.

A new study has revealed that during first pregnancy the volume of gray matter in the brain is reduced by up to 4.9 percent, with a partial recovery during the postpartum period.

According to the study, these changes in the gray matter are observed in 94 percent of the brain, being particularly prominent in regions linked to social cognition.

The findings of the study were published in the Nature Communications journal.

According to the Cleveland Clinics, grey matter is a type of tissue in your brain and spinal cord that plays a crucial role in allowing you to function normally from day to day.

“GM volume declined by 2.7% during the second trimester and 4.9% immediately before delivery, followed by a 3.4% recovery postpartum. Hormonal evaluations suggest that these changes are caused by pregnancy-associated estrogen fluctuations, with estriol sulfate and estrone sulfate identified as key factors rather than parenting experience,” the study stated.

The researchers found that maternal mental health influences the relationship between postpartum gray matter recovery (volume) and maternal attachment and it pivotal role.

 

Globally, more than 140 million females give birth yearly and undoubtedly, pregnancy is arguably the most transformative period in a female’s life, particularly in animals exhibiting parental care.

The study was carried out over five sessions – before conception, second trimester, third trimester, one month postpartum, and six months postpartum. This study is the first to confirm the increasingly popular hypothesis that GM volume evolves in a U-shaped pattern over the duration of pregnancy, News Medical reported.

 “GM volume declines during the second trimester (by 2.7%) and immediately before gestation (by 4.9%). These changes were symmetric across both brain hemispheres, with the most significant declines in the Default Mode and Frontoparietal brain regions,” it stated.

“By revealing the dynamic brain changes during pregnancy, the possible hormonal drivers behind these changes, and how their interplay impacts the mother’s psychological well-being, this study marks a crucial advance in maternal brain research,” the authors stated.

https://www.financialexpress.com/life/can-pregnancy-shrink-a-womans-brain-new-study-reveals-impact-on-gray-matter-3720219/