According to a study published in Brain Communications, pregnancy anemia may be associated with the risk of developing the baby’s brain. The investigation followed almost 400 mothers.
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14/09/2026
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Um a study published in the journal Brain Communications warned of the risks of pregnant women having anemia. The investigation warns that such a situation affects the development of the baby's brain. Almost 400 mothers were followed during this study.
The investigation used a magnetic resonance device and discovered differences in the volume of the brain that began to appear at 12 months. Thus, they point out that one of the risks lies in the fact that mothers had anemia during pregnancy.
Anaemia in pregnancy
The study showed that on average babies whose mothers had anemia had a brain 4% lower than mothers without this health problem. Differences were identified in parts of the brain linked to regions associated with movement, learning and emotional regulation.
In some cases, at 24 months the difference in brain size had already increased to 6%. They concluded that differences can be detected from one year of age.
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“What impresses these results is the way we can detect them. Observing such significant volumetric differences in babies exposed to anemia in the uterus reinforces the importance of optimizing interventions for women before and during pregnancyz”, reveals Jessica Ringshaw, one of the authors of the study, cited here by Medical Express.
“ In contexts with multiple overlapping risk factors, such as malnutrition and infectious diseases, it is important to consider how they may be acting together to cause anemia and consequently affect brain development. By adapting interventions to the local context, we can make a significant contribution to society, offering children the best chance to achieve their full potential for development, not only to survive, but to thrive”, continues the expert.
Pregnancy changes the brain structure of women for about two years
A 2016 study showed through magnetic resonance imaging that being pregnant causes long-term effects on the woman's brain.
The group of researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, led by Professor Elseline Hoekzema, concluded that the ‘free state’ causes changes in gray matter that make the mother take better care of the new baby.
The study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that women when they are mothers for the first time demonstrate a consistent reduction in the volume of gray matter, which may indicate that their brains are optimized and reconnected to help them meet the needs of their babies – effects that last at least two years.