Baby, it's all true
BY BETHANY MARETT
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It's true - nappy brain does exist.
A new study has revealed absentmindedness in pregnant women may not just be a popular stereotype but rather a scientific fact.
Timaru woman Jeanna McDonald welcomed the new research yesterday, admitting to a few forgetful moments during her pregnancy with daughter Charlotte, now three months.
"I had heaps. I probably can't remember them," she said with a laugh.
"Quite often I'll go into town and come back only doing half of what I intended to do.
"Although, actually, I find it a very convenient excuse. People don't expect too much of you when you're pregnant."
The photographer said she was never too good at remembering things anyway so she ensures she has a good diary system and uses lots of Post-it notes.
"I've probably been more forgetful since Charlotte was born than during pregnancy because there's so much more to do," she said.
Timaru mother-of-two Imke Swallow also experienced forgetfulness during her pregnancies. Her daughter Jemma is now eight months and son Jozef is almost three years old.
She said it wasn't so much an event that she forgot, but words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"It tended to be more the odd word or midway through a sentence you would lose track, and think, what was I talking about?"
Mrs Swallow said she had read that you never got full brain power back after being pregnant so interim forgetfulness didn't seem quite as bad.
The study, which was presented at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists annual scientific meeting in Auckland last weekend, found memory and attention were compromised in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Stereotypical forgetfulness in pregnant woman had not been widely analysed with objective neuropsychological tests, spokeswoman for the organisation, Lenore Ellett, said.
Tests were carried out on 30 women in the first trimester, 30 women in the third trimester and 30 non-pregnant women, Dr Ellett said.
"Compared to non-pregnant controls, women in the third trimester performed worse in measurements of auditory memory," she said.
The mean index score for combined memory measurement was 10 points lower in pregnant women compared with the control group.
No change was found in measurements of visuospatial memory, she said.
"The study demonstrates that pregnant women do have poorer memory function than non-pregnant women, particularly with regards to auditory memory.
"This is important given that information given to pregnant women is usually verbal."
Dr Ellett said clinicians needed to be aware that information given to pregnant women verbally might not be retained as well as written information.
- with NZPA
- © Fairfax NZ News
