Q: Is pregnancy brain a myth?

A: Probably. Research suggests pregnant women are no more forgetful than other women.

 

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It's always been considered part and parcel of pregnancy, along with a swollen belly, varicose veins and food cravings. It' s so-called 'pregnancy brain' (sometimes called 'placenta brain' or 'mumnesia'); a pattern of woolly thinking and the forgetfulness that seems to accompany pregnancy.
Many pregnant women believe they experience it, which is not surprising given that most pregnancy books and manuals warn them to expect it.
Some people say 'pregnancy brain' is caused by high levels of oestrogen and other sex hormones during pregnancy – one theory even suggests it's an evolutionary development that allows a pregnant woman to become oblivious of outside distractions, so she can focus on the all-important task of preparing for the birth.
But is there any evidence for pregnancy brain?

No basis in fact

New research suggests not, says Professor Helen Christensen, director of the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University.
Often women think they have poor memory, yet objective tests show their memory is perfectly normal, she says.
Christensen and other Australian researchers concluded this after studying 1,241 women over an eight-year period. The researchers took a random sample of women from the electoral roll, aged 20 to 24 at the beginning of the study, and followed them up over time, watching to see who got pregnant. (Of the 1,241 women, 76 were pregnant when they had their first interview, 188 became mothers during the study – but were not pregnant during the first interview – and another 542 didn't get pregnant. The rest were dropped from the study for a variety of reasons).
All the women were given standard tests of mental ability to see how well they could recall and repeat words and numbers. The pregnant women were given tests before, during and after their pregnancies; and their results were compared to the test results of the women who didn't become pregnant.
The researchers found no essential differences between pregnant versus non-pregnant women. Some women in late pregnancy appeared to take longer to do a speed task, but the researchers say this effect might not be real and it needs to be further investigated before it can be confirmed.
Their overall conclusion was that 'pregnancy brain' has no basis in fact.

A myth explained

So why then do so many pregnant women believe they are foggy-brained?
Christensen thinks it may be that these women, especially in the later stages of pregnancy and after childbirth, simply have a lot on their mind. So what appears to be poor memory could be just a proneness to distraction, as the women ponder the tasks that lie ahead. (However, the study didn't actually test this hypothesis).
Also, some pregnant women are prone to anxiety and depression. Both these conditions can affect memory regardless of whether you are pregnant or not, Christensen says.
Another possible explanation is sleep deprivation – a common complaint throughout pregnancy and the early years of motherhood. Sleep deprivation is known to contribute to forgetfulness, in men as well as women.
And for some women, the expectation of poor memory may become self-fulfilling, says Christensen. These women believe pregnancy brain is a normal part of pregnancy, so they look for signs that they are experiencing it.
So women don't need to plan their nine-month odyssey on the expectation of a foggy mental state. That's the good news.
The bad news: pregnant women who don't want to be pestered may no longer have the excuse of pregnancy brain. Although they still have plenty of other excuses – fatigue, swollen feet, indigestion…
Dr Helen Christensen is the director of the Centre for Mental Health Research, at the Australian National University in Canberra. She spoke to Peter Lavelle.