Self-perception of cognitive changes during pregnancy and the early postpartum: Salience and attentional effects

The reports from 198 pregnant women of changes experienced during pregnancy suggested that cognitive changes are not salient since only 2% of women spontaneously mentioned such changes. When asked specifically about cognitive changes, the majority reported no change although most who reported a change indicated it was for the worse. In this respect they differed from a group of 132 students who had recently left home. In a second study, 13 women were asked to rate a range of cognitive functions during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Their ratings for certain aspects of cognition were lower than those of a group of non-pregnant women. They also reported more cognitive failures and readily provided examples of perceived impairments in cognition. It would appear that cognitive deficits are of low salience to pregnant women but, if prompted, impairments in memory, concentration, clarity of thought and attention will be reported by women both during pregnancy and the first-year postpartum. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.