9 hours ago
'Dad brain': How becoming a father changes your brain
It's not only mothers who experience profound changes around the birth of a child - fathers also show measurable adjustments in brain structure and hormone balance, according to new research led by psychology professor Darby Saxbe at the University of Southern California.
Results from brain scans show: The cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions, also changes in fathers, Saxbe explains in the American Psychological Association (APA) podcast Speaking of Psychology.
The changes are more subtle than in mothers, but nevertheless detectable - and they appear to promote the fathers' ability to care.
There are also changes in hormone levels. The testosterone levels of many fathers fall after the birth, something associated with a higher motivation to look after the baby, explains Saxbe.
This means that less testosterone can mean more closeness to the child, as well as a better quality of relationship during the transition to parenthood.
At the same time, it was shown that partners of fathers with lower testosterone reported fewer depressive symptoms - provided the relationship was good.
Poor sleep is a constant companion of young parents. And according to Saxbe's research, lack of sleep is a consequence rather than a cause of brain changes.
Those who are particularly involved in caring for the baby often sleep less well - but the brain seems to want to "remodel" itself precisely for this purpose.
Her research also suggests that fatherhood is a real "development window" for the brain - comparable to adolescence or childhood.
"Every window of change is a window of vulnerability, but it's also a window of opportunity," says the professor.
Anyone who initially feels that they are unable to concentrate like they used to need not worry immediately. This is because children boost their parents' memory: they sharpen their cognitive skills and parents have "more ability to remember and retrieve things" that are related to the child.
Another key finding: fathers who take parental leave also benefit - but mothers benefit even more. They sleep better, are less stressed and show fewer depressive symptoms, her research showed. "It was really the moms that had the biggest benefit."
Parental leave is something that not only benefits fathers, but the whole family. "We know it has benefits for the children. We also know that it's beneficial for the partner. And I think that anything you can do to take the pressure off the family system is also a way of managing stress."
- Darby Saxbe is Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. There she directs the Neuroendocrinology of Social Ties (NEST) Lab, where she studies how close relationships affect health, with a particular focus on the transition to parenthood. Her book "Dad Brain" is due to be published next year.
