Baby Brain

News from the frontiers of medicine: "Baby Brain" is a myth; that syndrome being the supposed decline in intelligence that women suffer while pregnant. A study led by Dr. Helen Christensen of the Australian National University in Canberra tracked 2500 women over ten years and "found no difference between their brainpower before and during their pregnancies."

Baby Brain reminds me of Josh Whicker's 2004 Hoosier Gazette hoax in which he claimed that a five-year Indiana University study had found that "having children significantly lowers parents’ IQs." If I remember, that fooled a lot of the media, including Keith Olbermann.

Anyway, I still believe there's such a thing as Internet Brain.

Birth/Babies

Posted on Mon Feb 09, 2009



Comments

Huh? ... what? ...
Posted by Internet Brian  on  Mon Feb 09, 2009  at  06:56 AM
Can't have fooled Olbermann. He is already a fool. Perhaps there is a condition known as Olbermann Brain, but it would have to refer to the viewer himself, not Olbermann, as Olbermann does not appear to have a brain.
Posted by Sam  on  Tue Feb 10, 2009  at  02:44 PM
I have to agree with the researcher in last part of the article:
'While a woman may experience an apparent loss of brain function while she is pregnant, this could be because parts of her brain are being remodelled in preparation for dealing with the complicated demands of child-rearing."

I'm now 37 weeks pregnant and I've been unscientifically charting my brain function using the BrainAge video game since before I was pregnant. I'm now 37 week and in the last month my scores have suddenly plummeted.

Glad to know it's not perminant!
Posted by Robin  on  Tue Feb 10, 2009  at  07:02 PM
There is such a think as Teenage Brain, wherein teenagers lose their minds and parents find their own IQ dropping as a result.
Posted by Joe  on  Wed Feb 11, 2009  at  04:55 PM
Alex, you've been hoaxed. Of course Baby Brain exists.

When that story ran in Australia about 75 of the 80 comments said "No, it's true, when I was pregnant..." The anecdotal evidence was overwhelming. Dr Helen just didn't use the right test. Many comments were from highly educated women like my wife (PhD). I've been told in no uncertain terms to never repeat her "incidents".

Saying Baby Brain doesn't exist is like saying PMT doesn't exist. Both involve massive hormonal in-balances and I can tell you it's like a Greek Wedding Reception in Habitat every 28 days around here...
Posted by Joel B1  on  Mon Feb 23, 2009  at  06:39 PM
I think it's true. I used to be able to remember things and speak without having to pause to think. I'm not stupid, by any means, but I am suddenly finding myself behaving like I'm under the influence of Alzheimer's!
Posted by Janettee  on  Tue Mar 10, 2009  at  06:10 AM
Maybe it is due to the sleep deprivation of pregnancy. There is something real about it!
Posted by Kelly  on  Thu Oct 22, 2009  at  06:34 PM
I can believe this, HOWEVER...the reason is not that we lose brain power or brain cells when preggers and breast-feeding, it's that we are tired. When you are tired, your brain does not function at it's best! So, us mom's like to have the 'baby brain' excuse. Hey, at least it is an accepted myth. I definitely used it and got away with it quite a bit 😊
Posted by Santa Barbara Wedding Photographers - Willa Kveta  on  Fri Oct 30, 2009  at  11:08 PM
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