Lots of pregnant women attribute their memory loss and short attention span to being with child. Scientists now take another look at this old wives’ tale.
These small blips are caused by pregnancy hormones that produce some strange effects.
23 pregnant women were compared with 24 women who were not. During different memory tests, the pregnant women had spatial memory loss, meaning they could not remember where an object was or how it was positioned. Pregnant women also scored lower when their anxiety level, mood and attention span were rated.
These issues arise during the last six months of pregnancy and can last up to three months after birth. According to a study by Diane Farra, a midwife at the Bradford Institute for Health Research, this phenomenon is caused by pregnancy hormones affecting the brain.
She says, "Forgetfulness and slips of attention are phenomena commonly reported by pregnant women, but scientists have yet to identify a specific mechanism by which this memory impairment might occur. Indeed, some question whether the reported memory loss exists at all."
She also adds, "Altered hormone levels during pregnancy may affect brain regions involved in memory processing."