New study finds pregnancy changes the brain differently with each child

A second pregnancy appears to change a mother’s brain in ways that differ from a first pregnancy, according to a new study that offers fresh insight into how women adjust to motherhood and why some may face a higher risk of depression during and after pregnancy.

The research, conducted by scientists at Amsterdam University Medical Centre and published in Nature Communications, followed 110 women using repeated brain scans. The participants included first-time mothers, women expecting their second child and women who were not pregnant, allowing researchers to track how the brain changed during pregnancy.

The study builds on earlier work by the same team showing that pregnancy can change the structure and activity of the human brain. The latest findings show that these changes are not identical in every pregnancy.

Researchers found that first pregnancies were linked to greater changes in brain areas involved in understanding others, social connections and emotional responses.

In women expecting a second child, the biggest changes were seen in areas linked to attention and responding to information from the environment, changes researchers say may help mothers manage the demands of caring for more than one child.

“During a first and second pregnancy, the brain changes in both similar and unique ways. Each pregnancy leaves a unique mark on the female brain,” said Elseline Hoekzema, head of the Pregnancy Brain Lab at Amsterdam UMC.

The study also found a link between pregnancy-related brain changes and symptoms of depression during and after pregnancy.

According to researchers, the findings provide the first evidence that changes in the outer layer of the brain during pregnancy are linked to maternal depression.

These links, the researchers said, appeared at different times depending on whether it was a woman’s first or second pregnancy. Among first-time mothers, the relationship was stronger after childbirth, while among women expecting a second child, it was more noticeable during pregnancy.

“It is important that we understand how the brain adapts to motherhood,” Hoekzema said, adding that the findings could help improve understanding of mental health challenges affecting mothers.