Contrary to popular perception, pregnancy actually makes women brainier rather than forgetful, a recent study shows. The researchers found that pregnant women could do just as well on memory tests as other women – and in many cases, they actually outperformed the others.
The research team from the University of Western Ontario made 54 women undergo a series of mental tests. The participants were of a similar age and background but half of them were pregnant and half were childless. Excluding the pregnant women showing signs of depression, the mothers-to-be performed better than their childless counterparts on tests of working memory.
Researcher Elizabeth Hampson explains that when a woman isn’t depressed, pregnancy hormones may alter the brain’s chemistry to improve memory, reports the Daily Mail. She also added that the idea of ‘baby brain’ may be a result of genuine memory problems faced by pregnant women who suffer from depression.
