A Second Pregnancy Leaves a Different Brain Map

Amsterdam UMC researchers followed 110 women with repeated brain scans, comparing first pregnancies, second pregnancies, and nonpregnant controls. They found overlapping changes but also a distinct pattern during a second pregnancy, suggesting the maternal brain adapts to a different caregiving context rather than repeating a fixed program. The study does not define a diagnostic test, but its design may help separate ordinary adaptation from peripartum mental-health conditions.