SYDNEY: Australian researchers said they had debunked the myth that a women's ability to think was impaired by pregnancy and mothering a newborn -- a condition commonly referred to as "baby brain". An Australian National University team conducting a 20-year population study on health and ageing analysed the mental function of a group of women before and during pregnancy and in the early stages of motherhood. "We didn't find any difference between the women before and after pregnancy, or before and after motherhood, and there were no differences between the non-mothers and the mothers, and the pregnant women," lead researcher Helen Christensen said. The women were given memory and cognitive speed tests three times over eight years as part of the "Path Through Life" study, which is tracking the mental health of a random sample of 7,500 Australians over 20 years. Christensen said the findings were unique because the women were not told they we...
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