Pregnancy linked to forgetfulness

Australian researchers have found a link between pregnancy and forgetfulness, supporting widespread anecdotal evidence. The study, conducted on mice, discovered a physiological connection between pregnancy hormones and short-term memory loss. Researchers treated the mice for 17 to 50 days with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and luteinising hormone, levels of which rise sharply during pregnancy. Levels of these hormones also rise with age and have been shown to increase the production of toxic beta amyloid protein, which form the brain plaques that cause Alzheimer's.

The team discovered changes in the mice's short-term memory and motor skills. They also examined anxiety levels, which can be an indicator of Alzheimer's.

Anna Barron, one of the study's authors, said: "Lower doses showed a trending effect [on motor skills and memory] but higher doses – those in keeping with the spike of pregnancy – showed a marked effect. The doses over a longer period showed impairment in memory and changes in motor skills that have parallels with Alzheimer's."

She added that the effects of the hormone are reversible in the long term and that most women go back to normal after pregnancy.

More than 50 per cent of women claim they feel absent-minded during pregnancy. Regular exercise, a healthy diet and enough sleep are recommended.