New research on baby brain and Barbie

By Ken West
Published: November 3, 2008

“Baby brain” is the new term that describes how a woman’s thinking changes during and after pregnancy. The long-term news for women is excellent. There’s more good news. Do you remember Teen Talk Barbie? Her opinion about math has been silenced, hopefully, forever.

Pregnancy and beyond: thinking“I just can’t think as clearly since I’ve become pregnant.” If you’ve ever thought this, you now have research that supports you and the 50 percent to 80 percent of pregnant women who notice a disappointing change in their thinking. However, the good news for pregnant women is that the best thinking of their lives will soon arrive.

What causes Baby Brain? Several researchers explain. Craig Kinsley, Ph.D, a neuroscientist at the University of Richmond, explains the phenomena called Baby Brain in the American Psychological Association’s “Monitor.”

According to Kinsley, changes in hormone flow and an increasingly complicated life contribute to pregnant women having more difficulty learning and remembering tasks. In addition, researchers in London report that a pregnant woman’s brain size shrinks by about 4 percent. Scientists actually admitted to being surprised by the results of another study that was conducted by British Columbia researchers. They “discovered something that made their jaws drop: Women who had carried male fetuses performed significantly better on the most difficult tests of working memory and spatial ability than those carrying female fetuses” (“Monitor”).

The good news is that after giving birth, a mother’s thinking hits and stays in hyper-drive. After birth, “other brain mechanisms kick in that help (mothers) protect their young by bolstering their cognitive abilities, and these benefits may last into old age” (“Monitor”). As a result, mothers develop keener spatial skills and better memories. Congratulations, mothers. Your kids really do make you smarter.

Silencing Barbie
In 1992, the Mattel Corp. apologized for making Teen Talk Barbie utter those infamous words, “Math class is tough.” You remember Barbie. If she were a full-sized human, she would be 5’ 9” tall, with measurements of 36-18-33. However, she wouldn’t have to worry about pregnancy. Why? “She would lack the requisite 17 to 24 percent of body fat required to menstruate,” note researchers in Helsinki, Finland.

There is no difference between males’ and females’ achievement in math, researchers at the University of Wisconsin discovered. By “analyzing math test scores from seven million students, grades two through 11 … they found no difference in average performance. Looking at the higher and lower ends of the distributions, (researchers) again found no meaningful differences between genders,” (“Monitor”).
Researchers believe that the myth that boys do better than girls in math has been damaging. In the past, this myth may have influenced many females to steer away from advanced math courses and careers that require the use of mathematics. Worse, it may have unconsciously influenced teachers to spend more time helping males succeed in math classes.

Nevertheless, it may take time for a few school counselors and teachers to change their mistaken thinking about females. Research frequently runs far ahead of public opinion and prejudice. If you are a parent, insist that your daughters and sons be treated with equal respect and enthusiasm in math classrooms. Discuss with your daughters the career opportunities that involve the use of math. Knowing that males and females are equally competent in math will open new worlds for our daughters.

Good news
Recent research has offered good news to women. A mother’s thinking becomes sharper than ever after the birth of children, and it remains sharper throughout life. And, females are equal to males in their ability to succeed at mathematics. These results may not come as a surprise to most women.