Key Takeaway:
- Pregnancy causes widespread structural and vascular changes across nearly all regions of the maternal brain.
- Brain volume temporarily decreases during pregnancy, but may improve efficiency for caregiving and adaptation.
- The Global Maternal Brain Project aims to close major research gaps in women’s brain health and motherhood science.
New brain-imaging research from a pregnancy brain changes study shows that pregnancy significantly reshapes nearly every region of a mother’s brain. Scientists report structural and vascular changes that may help prepare women neurologically for motherhood.
Scientists Map Pregnancy’s Impact on the Brain
Neuroscientists in the United States have created the first detailed map tracking how the human brain changes before, during, and after pregnancy, challenging decades-old beliefs that adult brains remain fixed.
The findings stem from research launched in 2024 after a participant allowed repeated brain scans throughout her pregnancy. Scientists observed unexpected reductions in brain volume as the due date approached, prompting broader investigation.
The work led to the creation of the Maternal Brain Project, an international research initiative examining how pregnancy alters brain structure and function. Researchers say the topic has historically received little attention despite its importance.
“Nearly every region in the brain is changing significantly across pregnancy,” said Emily Jacobs, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who leads the project. She said adaptations also appear in the brain’s vascular system, including shifts in cerebrospinal fluid flow.
Since 1990, only about 0.5 percent of brain-imaging studies have focused specifically on women’s health, Jacobs said, highlighting longstanding research gaps.
Global Study Expands With New Participants
The Maternal Brain Project now includes 20 participants across the United States, including first-time mothers, experienced mothers, fathers, and nonpregnant women used for comparison.
Researchers tracked participants for 18 months using MRI scans, blood tests, and questionnaires measuring mood, sleep, and overall health. More than 150 scans have been completed so far.
Preliminary results show consistent patterns across participants. Total brain volume, gray matter, and cortical thickness decrease steadily during pregnancy and partially rebound after childbirth, researchers said.
“We are seeing broadly consistent patterns of structural remodeling throughout the brain,” said researcher Jones, a collaborator on the pregnancy brain changes study. She noted that cerebrospinal fluid volume increases during pregnancy, moving opposite to overall brain tissue changes.
Scientists identified alterations in regions linked to social behavior, emotional regulation, and decision-making, including the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes.
Although the results have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal, Jacobs said 97 percent of the roughly 400 brain regions analyzed showed measurable changes.
Researchers Challenge ‘Mommy Brain’ Stereotype
Experts say the findings suggest brain shrinkage during pregnancy does not signal impairment but increased efficiency, allowing the brain to adapt to new caregiving demands.
“This project is updating the way we think and talk about matrescence,” Jacobs said, referring to the transition into motherhood. She said the data challenge outdated ideas portraying so-called “mommy brain” as a dysfunction.
Researchers aim to expand the pregnancy brain changes study globally, adding institutions in Spain alongside U.S. partners, including the University of Pennsylvania and IISGM, a Spanish medical research institute.
Future research will examine how factors such as fertility treatments, pregnancy complications, or breastfeeding influence brain changes. Scientists also hope to identify biological markers linked to postpartum depression and long-term brain health outcomes.
Hannah Grotzinger, who oversees ongoing data collection, said building a diverse participant pool remains a top priority. The project ultimately seeks to create the world’s largest open-access database dedicated to the maternal brain.
Jones previously wrote that women are widely represented in neuroimaging studies, but health factors unique to women often go unstudied or underfunded.
Researchers say the expanding global pregnancy brain changes study could reshape understanding of motherhood, brain plasticity, and women’s health for decades to come.
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