Many pregnant women experience forgetfulness and mental fog, a phenomenon commonly known as “pregnancy brain.”
According to the British newspaper The Independent, a new study has identified a biological mechanism that may explain this condition. Researchers linked it to a specific neural pathway that changes as a result of persistently elevated levels of the hormone estrogen, which is common during pregnancy.
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In experiments involving laboratory mice genetically modified to mimic these sustained high estrogen levels, researchers observed temporary impairments in memory without any accompanying changes in mood.
The researchers found that the impairment was caused by disruption of a neural circuit connecting the hypothalamus, a region that regulates essential bodily functions, with the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a critical role in memory formation.
Elevated estrogen stimulated neurons in the hypothalamus, which in turn suppressed activity in the hippocampus and disrupted memory function.
This mental fog tends to become more noticeable during the later stages of pregnancy and may continue after childbirth before gradually subsiding.
It can affect the ability to retain information over both the short and long term, including spatial, social, and verbal memory, such as remembering names, words, or familiar information.
Dr. Cheng Sun, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine specializing in endocrinology and molecular biology and one of the leaders of the study published in Science Bulletin, said: “It is not a serious condition, but it can affect daily performance and self-confidence.”
Sun added that common examples include forgetting why you entered a room, misplacing an item, losing track of a conversation, or needing frequent reminders about appointments.
The phenomenon is widespread, with around 80% of pregnant women reporting such changes.
However, the researchers emphasized that the findings do not mean pregnancy makes women “less intelligent.” The effects are limited to specific cognitive tasks.
