{"id":76383,"date":"2024-09-20T14:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ce3aa83ce10b3933616ed4e6d0d5b33d"},"modified":"2024-09-20T14:00:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T14:00:09","slug":"during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"During pregnancy, a woman&#8217;s brain experiences &#8216;profound changes,&#8217; new study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"article-gating gated-overlay\" readability=\"24.690978886756\">\n<div class=\"article-gating-wrapper\" readability=\"28.376199616123\">\n<p>Join Fox News for access to this content<\/p>\n<p>Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account &#8211; free of charge.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gating-legal tablet-desktop\" readability=\"21.43949044586\">By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News&#8217; <span class=\"waslinkname\">Terms of Use<\/span> and <span class=\"waslinkname\">Privacy Policy<\/span>, which includes our <span class=\"waslinkname\">Notice of Financial Incentive<\/span>. <\/div>\n<p><span>Please enter a valid email address.<\/span><\/p>\n<footer class=\"article-gating-footer\"><span class=\"waslinkname\">Having trouble? Click here.<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">The body isn&#8217;t the only thing that changes when a <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>woman is pregnant.<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">A new study conducted by researchers at UC Santa Barbara mapped how the brain responds to rapid hormone changes during pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>Pregnancy is a &#8220;transformative period in a person\u2019s life accompanied by profound hormonal and physiological changes,&#8221; study co-author Dr. Laura Pritschet said in a conversation with Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>AMERICANS ARE HAVING FEWER BABIES AS BIRTH RATE HITS HISTORIC LOW, CDC REVEALS<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Investigations that compare women pre- and post-pregnancy provide the strongest evidence to date that the human brain undergoes neural change during this period,&#8221; she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yet, how the brain changes during gestation itself is virtually unknown.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/343\/192\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/686\/384\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/672\/378\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1344\/756\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/931\/523\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1862\/1046\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/720\/405\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1440\/810\/pregnancy-brain.png?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds.png\" alt=\"pregnant woman at the doctor next to a brain scan image\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><span>The study mapped how the brain responds to rapid hormonal changes during pregnancy.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pritschet and her team launched the Maternal Brain Project, which scanned a first-time mother\u2019s brain, once every few weeks, from preconception through two years postpartum.<\/p>\n<p>This allowed <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>the researchers<\/u><\/span> to record changes in the brain in &#8220;pretty exquisite detail,&#8221; Pritschet said, which is &#8220;something that hasn\u2019t been captured before.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\" readability=\"6\">\n<p class=\"quote-text\">&#8220;These findings reveal highly dynamic changes unfolding in the human brain during pregnancy \u2014 some of which did not fully return to preconception levels.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <!----><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Our findings show that pregnancy is characterized by reductions in gray matter volume, cortical thinning, and enhanced white matter microstructural integrity that unfold in step with advancing gestational week,&#8221; she went on.<\/p>\n<p>These changes in brain matter were also linked to a significant rise in estrogen and progesterone <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>during pregnancy<\/u><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>SOME PREGNANT WOMEN USE CASTOR OIL TO SPEED UP LABOR, BUT EXPERTS SAY IT&#8217;S NOT FOR EVERYONE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Together, these findings reveal highly dynamic changes unfolding in the human brain during pregnancy \u2014 some of which did not fully return to preconception levels,&#8221; Pritschet said.<\/p>\n<p>This demonstrates a capacity for &#8220;extensive neural remodeling well into adulthood,&#8221; according to the researcher.<\/p>\n<p>A reduction of gray matter in the brain isn&#8217;t necessarily a bad thing, she noted.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/343\/192\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/686\/384\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/672\/378\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1344\/756\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/931\/523\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1862\/1046\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/720\/405\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1440\/810\/pregnant-woman.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds.jpg\" alt=\"A pregnant woman\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"6.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><span>Researchers saw a decrease in gray matter and an increase in white matter in the brain of a first-time mother.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A decrease in gray matter could indicate a &#8220;fine-tuning&#8221; of brain circuits, similar to how the <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>brain changes<\/u><\/span> and becomes more specialized as adolescents transition through puberty, Pritschet told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the neurological changes were thought to be a response to the &#8220;high physiological demands&#8221; of pregnancy, which shows how adaptive the brain can be, the researcher said.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the study revealed evidence of &#8220;profound changes&#8221; happening in the brain, she noted, which could help validate the &#8220;wide range of experiences women have during pregnancy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>&#8216;DOES SMARTPHONE EXPOSURE CAUSE BRAIN CANCER?&#8217;: ASK A DOCTOR<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>Jackson, Tennessee<\/u><\/span>, told Fox News Digital that he considers this study &#8220;interesting.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Murray, who was not involved in the study, defined neuroplasticity as the brain\u2019s ability to &#8220;reorganize neural pathways in response to changes in the brain, such as growth, chemical changes, environmental exposures or injury.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/brain-waves.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds-1.jpg\" alt=\"Brain waves\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"9\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><span>&#8220;Neuroplasticity is the brain\u2019s ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to changes in the brain, such as growth, chemical changes, environmental exposures or injury,&#8221; a neurologist told Fox News Digital.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The extent of brain structure changes in such a short amount of time was one of the most &#8220;remarkable&#8221; findings in the study, Murray noted.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This demonstrates the brain&#8217;s remarkable ability to respond to numerous changes and stressors,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We know that women&#8217;s bodies go through many changes during pregnancy, but this is the first time changes in the brain have been documented with imaging during the different stages.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Spotlight on women&#8217;s health<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Pritschet emphasized that pregnancy should not be considered a &#8220;niche research topic,&#8221; as 85% of women experience it at least once in their lifetime, and about 140 million women are pregnant every year.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Asking these questions is long overdue, but we have good news \u2014 there is now a worldwide spotlight on <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>women\u2019s health<\/u><\/span> at large, and the future is bright because of it,&#8221; she told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our hope is that this proof-of-concept study serves as a catalyst for more studies that take place in larger, more diverse cohorts of women.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/343\/192\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/686\/384\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/672\/378\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1344\/756\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/931\/523\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1862\/1046\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/720\/405\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1440\/810\/pregnant-woman-in-the-spring.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/during-pregnancy-a-womans-brain-experiences-profound-changes-new-study-finds-2.jpg\" alt=\"pregnant woman in the springtime\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><span>&#8220;Profound changes&#8221; happening in the brain could help validate the &#8220;wide range of experiences&#8221; women have during pregnancy, the researcher suggested.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Using the new information from this study, the researchers plan to further investigate how brain changes may drive neurological conditions during pregnancy, like eclampsia, epilepsy, stroke and migraine.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are now FDA-approved treatments for <span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>postpartum depression<\/u><\/span> (a condition that affects roughly one in five women), but early detection remains elusive,&#8221; Pritschet said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The more we learn about the maternal brain, the better chance we\u2019ll have to provide relief.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><i><strong><u>For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews\/health<\/u><\/strong><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Murray agreed that this study will help lay the groundwork for additional studies looking at various psychological or neurological conditions women may face during pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>This study did not look at the neurological changes related to forgetfulness or &#8220;brain fog&#8221; \u2014 often referred to as &#8220;pregnancy brain&#8221; \u2014 or other side effects, Pritschet clarified.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\" readability=\"6\">\n<p class=\"quote-text\">&#8220;The more we learn about the maternal brain, the better chance we\u2019ll have to provide relief.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <!----><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We absolutely need more work in this space to understand how changes in the brain during pregnancy lead to or trigger cognitive, behavioral and <span class=\"waslinkname\">health outcomes<\/span>,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everyone\u2019s journey is different \u2013 some women report changes in mood or forgetfulness, while others do not \u2013 so we need to understand how and why these differences may emerge.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account &#8211; 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Please enter a valid &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76384,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","has-thumb","has-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}