Pregnancy and breastfeeding are associated with less later‐life cognitive decline in a longitudinal, prospective cohort
Motherhood may leave an enduring mark on women's brains, shaping cognitive health. Over 7000 women were assessed annually from approximately age 70 for up to 13 years. Ever being pregnant and cumulative time pregnant were linked with better cognition. Ever having breastfed and more time breastfeeding were linked with better cognition. These results imply that declining fertility may affect cognitive aging in future generations.
Authors
- Aladdin H. Shadyab (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9693-0522)
- Carolyn Crandall (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9441-0198)
- Jennifer E. Bramen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8967-0008)
- Qian Xiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3665-9590)
- Robert A. Wild (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1298-265X)
- Ramon Casanova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6934-5942)
- Leslie V. Farland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7455-8531)
- Verna R. Porter
- Mark A. Espeland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3711-1949)
- Prabha Siddarth
- Molly Fox (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9219-8971)
- M. C. Chang
- JoAnn E. Manson
- Yijia Sun
- Dayoon Kwon
- Li Zhang
Institutions
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Oklahoma City University (US)
- University of California System (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Neurobehavioral Systems (US)
- Saint John's Health Center (US)
- Human Longevity (United States) (US)
- Wake Forest University (US)
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
- University of Oklahoma (US)
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Alzheimer s & Dementia
- Published
- 2026-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71072
- Primary Topic
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases