Scientists have found that with the birth of a child, the brain in men decreases

A team of researchers from the USA and Spain figured outFirst-time fathers show longitudinal gray matter cortical volume reductions: evidence from two international samples / Cerebral Cortexthat with the birth of the first child, the brain of men changes in size. This improves the ability of new fathers to take care of the child.

In the study, the researchers checked the MRI scans of the brains of 40 men before and after they became fathers and compared them with those of childless young people. It turned out that the participants in the experiment, who had heirs, lost up to two percent of the volume of the cerebral cortex. The main changes have occurred in the visual cortex and the neural network of interacting brain regions that are active when a person is resting or not focused.

The authors of the work explain that these changes are associated with parental acceptance and a warm attitude towards the child. This process helps to establish a closer and more intuitive contact between the adult and the baby.

Also, during the observations, changes in visual memory were found: it was more accurate in young fathers. This is probably due to the need to monitor the child and the ability to recognize him among other children.

This study proved that the birth of a child changes the body of both mother and father, the scientists added.