Postpartum depression and problems like forgetting things during pregnancy after pregnancy bother many women. Questions often arise on whether these are really or women are facing mental stress only. A new research in Spain recently made important revelations on the issue, stating that pregnancy affects the brain structure of women and many significant changes.

Conclusions of new research

There are many physical changes in women during pregnancy and delivery, but these changes are not just physical; They are also related to the brain. Nature communication According to a study published in, the volume of U shape gray matter found in the brain decreases in the last days of pregnancy. This deficiency can remain until 6 months after delivery. These changes occurring in the brain of pregnant women are due to hormonal fluctuations, which increase the mentality of becoming a mother and connectivity to the child. These changes also affect the social and emotional understanding of women.

Characteristics of research

This research was focused on neurobiological and psychological changes associated with the motherhood, but no detailed study was done earlier on the subject. Researchers studied 127 women to become mothers for the first time. The brain of these women was studied through five magnetic imaging sessions from pregnancy to 6 months after delivery. In this, imaging was done in the first, 18 weeks of pregnancy, 34 weeks, after the birth of the child, and then 6 months later. Researchers got information about the structure of the brain of women during and after pregnancy from this process.

During the study, focus on gray matter volume, which is an indicator of structural brain changes. Researchers found that the amount of gray matter decreases in the last months of pregnancy in the brain of pregnant women, and after some time after the child's birth, this volume starts to normalize again. The special thing is that these changes were seen only in the minds of pregnant women, while no such change was found in women without children or not being pregnant.

This research makes it clear that pregnancy affects not only physical health, but also on mental health, which can lead to various challenges.