Parenthood Linked to Lower Cognitive Decline With Age

Research suggests the challenges of parenting may strengthen brain networks and potentially guard against age-related decline.

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Parenthood reshapes priorities, schedules, and indeed, the brain itself. While short-term brain changes in parents are well-documented, it’s unclear whether they last. Now, a study suggests that parenthood may give you a younger brain as a result of brain restructuring that safeguards against age-related cognitive decline.

Researchers of the study published in PNAS found that parents have better brain connections in areas that typically weaken with age.

As the number of children increased, so did brain connectivity, suggesting a protective effect against age-related brain changes.

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“When parents tell me they’re ‘losing their minds,’ I like to think they’re actually ‘rewiring their brains,’” Melissa Schwartz, a coach for highly sensitive families and adults at Leading Edge Parenting, who wasn’t part of the study, told The Epoch Times. “Their children are pushing them to the edges of their neural wiring and building stronger, healthier, more effective neural pathways.”

How Parenthood Changes Your Brain

Parents had increased brain connectivity in their movement and sensory processing regions and in networks involved in social thinking, visual processing, and attention.

These networks typically declined after age 40.

At the regional level, parents had stronger brain connections between their sensory and motor areas and the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and learning.

Researchers analyzed MRI scans from about 20,000 females and 18,000 males from the UK BioBank, the world’s largest population-based brain imaging database.

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They found that parenthood was associated with higher brain synchronization, with connectivity strengthening progressively as the number of children increased. However, the study did not specify an exact threshold for benefits, instead showing a continuous relationship between parenthood and brain function.

Moms and dads had similar brain changes, suggesting that being a parent, rather than pregnancy alone, drives these neurological effects.

The protective effects of parenthood against aging remained even after accounting for factors such as education and socioeconomic status.

The authors observed that parents with more children tended to have larger social networks, stronger social support, and more frequent visits from friends and family. These social factors may contribute to the increased brain connectivity seen in parents.

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For fathers, the study found a positive association between having more children and better grip strength but didn’t specify a direct cause. Grip strength is a well-established predictor of brain health and cognitive resilience in aging.

Studies show that social engagement preserves brain function as people age. Social ties also provide emotional and practical support, reinforcing resilience in aging.

While the study found that factors such as socioeconomic status, education, and workforce participation influenced the number of children a person had, they didn’t explain the observed link between parenthood and brain function.

A Transformative Experience

These study findings offer a more nuanced view of the effects of parenting.

Many studies have linked parenting to aging. One reason is that parents are more likely to report high levels of stress than other adults.

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For instance, a Yale School of Medicine study found that pregnancy accelerates aging, but the effect gets reversed during the postpartum period.

A similar study from Northwestern University indicated that each additional child a woman has could age her cells by up to two years, suggesting a cumulative effect of multiple pregnancies on cellular aging. This study takes a different perspective. Instead of looking at biological markers of aging, it examines how well different brain regions communicate.

Mental health is a top concern among parents, according to a 2023 survey by Pew Research Center. However, the same survey reports that mothers and fathers alike find parenting enjoyable and rewarding.

Children need constant engagement and supervision. Much time is spent cuddling, feeding, cradling, and playing. The study showed that fathers, in particular, show stronger connectivity in their somatosensory regions, responsible for sensing and pain perception, likely caused by their more physically interactive play styles, such as rough-and-tumble play.

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“Yes, parenting is stressful and demanding, but it is also the most transformative experience because of the personal growth and changes over a lifetime of raising children and benefiting as a parent,” said Lisa Pion Berlin, president and CEO of Parents Anonymous, a nonprofit that helps parents and communities thrive.

The exact reasons behind these brain benefits aren’t fully understood, but researchers suggest three key factors may be at play.

1. Constant Stimulation

The caregiving environment provides constant novelty and challenges, stimulating cognitive flexibility and problem-solving capabilities.

“The mental aspect of parenting—juggling multiple tasks and schedules, solving problems, etc.—certainly helps keep the brain active, which may contribute to stronger mental health,” Berlin said.

Challenges often emerge, requiring parents to adapt quickly.

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“These ongoing demands can definitely keep your brain active and sharp,” she said.

2. Boost in Emotional Intelligence

Parents must be attuned to their children’s needs, especially through nonverbal cues such as gestures and facial expressions.

The sensing and motor network promoted during parenthood is crucial for social cognition. This network helps people effectively navigate interpersonal interactions. It facilitates the understanding and imitation of others’ actions and fosters empathy by allowing us to emotionally grasp others’ feelings.

The network also supports theory of mind, the capacity to recognize that others possess distinct thoughts and emotions. Furthermore, it underpins coregulation, the dynamic exchange of emotions between individuals, contributing to social harmony and connection.

3. Opportunity for Personal Healing

Reflecting on her experience with her 11-year-old stepdaughter, Schwartz said that she catches herself being triggered by whatever her stepdaughter is going through.

“Not only is this an opportunity for me to show up with more compassion and understanding for her, but it allows me to revisit my younger self with my adult wisdom, my grown perspective,” she said.

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“When our children push our buttons, it’s because they’re activating unresolved hurts from our own childhoods.”

She added that working through these wounds makes us better parents, rewiring our brains and boosting our emotional development.

When parents heal from past wounds, they practice mindfulness, self-reflection, and emotional control. These, in turn, strengthen brain areas linked to social thinking and managing emotions.

“Parenting is a co-evolution with our children,“ Schwartz said. ”We’re not just shaping our children, they’re reshaping us, too.”