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Pregnancy and childbirth bring fundamental changes in many aspects, including neurology. However, researchers continue to study the nature of these changes, particularly what they entail and what causes them.
The brain and childbirth. A new study by Spanish researchers examined the effects of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum on women’s brains. The team found changes associated with the last two stages but no significant changes during pregnancy.
Hippocampus and amygdala. The analysis revealed changes in the hippocampus and amygdala of participants. These changes correlated with adverse birth experiences and the onset of depressive symptoms in the postpartum period.
Specifically, the team noted increased hippocampal volume in mothers with a negative perception of their birth. At the same time, postpartum depressive symptoms correlated with a greater increase in amygdala volume.
“Childbirth and postpartum are emotionally intense moments that mothers remember for the rest of their lives. It changes their lives and can change their bodies. This body is also in a context and influenced by it,” Cristina Ballesteros, co-author of the study, said.
88 new mothers. The study involved more than 100 women, including 88 first-time mothers. Researchers examined them at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy and the first month after giving birth. The second control group included 30 childless women studied during the same interval.
The team conducted the analysis using magnetic resonance imaging. The study appeared in Science Advances.
Finding the cause. The team found correlations between particular birth and postpartum experiences and changes in the brain. However, identifying possible cause-and-effect relationships in these associations remains a more complex task. More research is needed in this area.
The study’s authors suggest these changes could represent the adaptation of the brain to challenging events, such as childbirth or early motherhood, and indicate possible vulnerabilities.
Linked projects. A year ago, part of the team behind this study published an article in Nature Neuroscience, also addressing changes in mothers’ brains during pregnancy.
That study found some brain changes before birth, specifically in a network involved in self-awareness and social cognition, known as the default network. This brain region remains active when individuals aren’t engaged in any particular activity, hence its name.
Image | Juan Encalada (Unsplash)
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