title: Human Maternal Brain Plasticity: Adaptation to Parenting.
abstract: New mothers undergo dynamic neural changes that support positive adaptation to parenting and the development of mother-infant relationships. In this article, I review important psychological adaptations that mothers experience during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. I then review evidence of structural and functional plasticity in human mothers' brains, and explore how such plasticity supports mothers' psychological adaptation to parenting and sensitive maternal behaviors. Last, I discuss pregnancy and the early postpartum period as a window of vulnerabilities and opportunities when the human maternal brain is influenced by stress and psychopathology, but also receptive to interventions.
authors: University of Denver.
authors: Pilyoung
authors: P
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D016487:Parenting; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*