The increase in the size of some brain cells is thought to be as a result of hormonal fluctuations during birth and breastfeeding, and the changes last for decades, protecting against degenerative diseases later in life.
Studies on animals including rats and primates found mothers become much braver, are up to five times faster at finding food and have better spatial awareness than those without offspring.
Craig Kinsley, professor of neuroscience at the University of Richmond, Virginia, said he believed the same results applied to humans. 'Pregnant women do undergo a phase of so-called baby brain, when they experience an apparent loss of function,' he said. However, this is because their brains are being remodelled for motherhood to cope with the many new demands they will experience. Many benefits seem to emerge from motherhood, as the maternal brain rises to the reproductive challenge. When the going gets tough, the brain gets going. The changes could last for the rest of their lives, bolstering cognitive abilities and protecting them against degenerative diseases.'
He added: 'Although most studies have so far focused on animals, it is likely women also gain long-lasting benefits from motherhood. Most mammals share similar maternal behaviours controlled by the same brain regions.'
Another study by the University of Toronto has found rats that had given birth were protected against degenerative diseases, with lower levels of a protein linked with Alzheimer's disease in humans.
October 2008
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