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bioRxiv · 10.1101/650952

Population-based neuroimaging reveals traces of childbirth in the maternal brain

de Lange, A.-M. G.·Kaufmann, T.·van der Meer, D.·Maglanoc, L. A.·Alnaes, D.·Moberget, T.·Douaud, G.·Andreassen, O.·Westlye, L. T.
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Abstract

Pregnancy and childbirth involve maternal brain adaptations that promote attachment to and protection of the newborn. Using brain imaging and machine learning, we provide evidence for a positive relationship between number of childbirths and a younger-looking brain in 12,021 women, which could not be explained by common genetic variation. The findings demonstrate that parity can be linked to brain health later in life.

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de Lange, A.-M. G., Kaufmann, T., van der Meer, D., Maglanoc, L. A., Alnaes, D., Moberget, T., Douaud, G., Andreassen, O., Westlye, L. T.. 2019-05-27. Population-based neuroimaging reveals traces of childbirth in the maternal brain. https://doi.org/10.1101/650952

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