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Study Finds No Objective ‘Baby Brain’ in New Parents

Poor sleep drives reported forgetfulness, with researchers warning the stereotype can weaken parents’ confidence and harm workplace perceptions.

Researchers found no measurable evidence of ‘baby brain’ despite reports of memory lapses and mental fog.
Many new parents describe the mental fog of early parenthood as 'baby brain'. But Australian researchers found a surprise.
New parents can breathe a sigh of relief after Australian researchers debunked the long-held ‘baby brain’ theory.

Overview

  • Monash University tested about 400 people — roughly 150 mothers, 150 fathers and 100 non-parents — using 12 cognitive measures and found no objective decline in parents up to two years after birth.
  • The team reported the results to a Women’s and Children’s Health Summit in Melbourne on Thursday and published the paper in the journal Cortex.
  • Across the sample, worse sleep quality predicted poorer self‑reported memory while objective test scores stayed stable, so tiredness rather than parenthood explained the felt decline.
  • New fathers reported lower confidence in their memory despite performing like non-parents on tests, a result researchers link to changing paternal roles and shifts in self-assessment.
  • Authors caution that the ‘baby brain’ stereotype can shape how parents are seen at work and in society and call for better postpartum support for sleep and wellbeing.