For a long time, people have known that pregnancy changes a woman’s body in many ways. Now, new research shows that these changes might also benefit the brain later in life.
A study led by Professor Molly Fox from UCLA has found that pregnancy and breastfeeding may help improve long-term memory and thinking skills in women after menopause. The study, published in the journal *Alzheimer’s & Dementia*, analyzed data from more than 7,000 women around 70 years old. These women participated in two major studies: the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging. Researchers followed them for up to 13 years, assessing their memory and other cognitive abilities annually.
The researchers sought to understand why women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease despite similar lifespans. They explored whether pregnancy and breastfeeding could positively affect brain health—a question that no other large study had addressed before. Their hypothesis was that women who had more pregnancies and longer breastfeeding durations would show better brain function.
The results supported this idea. Women who had been pregnant for a total of around 30.5 months scored slightly higher on overall thinking tests than women who had never been pregnant. Each additional month of pregnancy was linked to a small but measurable improvement in cognitive skills.
Breastfeeding also demonstrated benefits. Women who breastfed for about 11.6 months had better cognitive scores than those who never breastfed. Specifically, each month of breastfeeding was associated with small gains in verbal and visual memory.
While these improvements might seem modest, they are comparable in size to the benefits seen from other healthy habits like regular exercise and not smoking.
This study is important because it adds to our understanding of how women’s life experiences may protect their brains over time. Although many women experience memory difficulties shortly after giving birth—often referred to as “mommy brain”—this study suggests that in the long run, pregnancy and breastfeeding may actually help the brain stay sharp.
To put the findings in perspective: women who had been pregnant scored 0.60 points higher on overall cognitive tests compared to those who had never been pregnant. Breastfeeding was associated with a 0.19-point higher overall score and a 0.27-point boost in verbal memory. These differences, though subtle, could have a substantial impact on public health given the millions affected by Alzheimer’s disease and the limited treatment options currently available.
The researchers also considered other factors that might explain these results. For instance, having more children might lead to stronger social support networks later in life. This social support could reduce stress, improve mental health, and encourage healthier lifestyles—all of which contribute to better brain health.
Currently, the research team is investigating exactly how pregnancy and breastfeeding benefit the brain. Understanding these mechanisms might pave the way for new medications or programs that replicate these protective effects, even for women who have not had children.
Professor Fox emphasized that learning how to harness the brain-boosting effects of pregnancy could lead to improved treatments for Alzheimer’s and new strategies to protect brain health in aging women.
As societal trends shift and people have fewer children, it is increasingly important to understand how these changes influence brain health over the long term. This research highlights that motherhood may offer more than emotional rewards—it might also help keep the brain strong with age.
The study’s conclusions are based on carefully collected data, including reproductive history interviews and yearly cognitive assessments.
If you are interested in brain health, consider reading related studies on Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to a higher risk of dementia and how cranberries could help boost memory.
For more health information, explore recent research on heartburn drugs that may increase dementia risk and findings that the MIND diet can protect cognitive function and help prevent dementia.
https://knowridge.com/2026/02/pregnancy-and-breastfeeding-may-slow-cognitive-decline-in-women/