Can Motherhood Sculpt the Brain?

Functional imaging indicates that pregnancy elicits reductions in gray matter volume in human brain regions linked to maternal attachment.

Postpartum maternal behaviors cultivate mother-infant attachment to sustain a healthy emotional bond. In a prospective study, researchers measured gray matter volume with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans before conception and 2 months postpartum in 25 primiparous women. FMRI imaging before and after the pregnancy was also performed in the fathers as well as in a control group of 20 nulliparous women. In addition, fMRI images were generated in the mothers as they were shown pictures of their own or other infants. Maternal attachment was assessed with the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale.

Comparison of preconception and postpartum brain images revealed reductions in gray matter volume after birth. These structural changes …

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics