slip mom’s minds - turns out, this is likely just the result of sleep deprivation and exhaustion.

媽媽們總忘東忘西的情景。其實，這只是睡眠不足和精疲力盡的後遺症。

But, what is actually happening inside a mother’s brain? Hi mom!

所以，到底在媽媽腦袋中發生了什麼事？嗨媽媽們！

Hello sons and daughters, Lissette here for Dnews. Many mothers report that having a child

哈囉兒子、女兒們，我是Dnews的Lissette。許多媽媽說 生兒育女

is one of the most meaningful events they’ve ever experienced. It’s life changing. And

是人生中大家經歷過的其中一個最有意義的事件。生命不斷在轉變。而

from a science perspective, they’re right - even when it comes to the structure of their

而以科學角度來說，這千真萬確，因為

brains.

他們的大腦亦正是如此。

Mothers experience neurological changes that start in pregnancy and continue throughout

媽媽們從懷孕開始就經歷神經生理上的改變且持續

early motherhood. In a study published in the Journal Behavioral Neuroscience, researchers

到她們育嬰初期。根據一個發表在行為神經科學期刊的研究，研究人員

looked at moms’ brains at 2-4 weeks after giving birth and then again around 3 months

在媽媽生產後的2到4週以及約3個月之後，分別觀察了她們

later. Using mri technology, they found that mothers had increased gray matter in certain

的大腦變化。他們使用MRI技術發現媽媽大腦灰質 (神經細胞本體) 在特定腦區有增加

areas: the parietal lobes, prefrontal cortex, and others. Yes, their brains literally grew.

趨勢：在頂葉、前額葉和其他部位都有。是的，她們的大腦真的在增長

What’s more, some of the growth happened in areas like the amygdala and hypothalamus,

還有，在海馬迴和杏仁核區也有類似增長

which are associated with emotional regulation, survival instincts and hormone production.

也就是與情緒控管、生存直覺和賀爾蒙製造有關的區域

The changes here seem to be linked to mother’s having a positive view of their babies and

這些改變似乎是因為媽媽對孩子有正面的看法有關連，且

an increase in positive feelings towards them - it’s what helps moms get up 5 or 6 times

這樣的正能量源源不絕。這也就是為什麼媽媽能夠在夜裡起床5、6次

at night to a screaming baby without losing any love for them.

安撫哭鬧的嬰兒，且愛意不減反增。

In a study, researchers at The University of Toronto Mississauga analyzed the brain

在一份由多倫多密西沙加大學的研究人員分析22位母親

activity of 22 mothers to see if there was anything special going in their amygdala when

的大腦活動來看當媽媽照顧自己的孩子與照顧陌生人的孩子時

mothers looked at their babies versus the babies of strangers. What you’d expect is

在她們的杏仁核有任何的特別變化差異。你大概會以為

that mothers would respond more strongly to their own babies. And some women did - these

母親會對自己的孩子有更強烈的反應。而某些媽媽也真的是如此，這些

women reported higher feelings of satisfaction with motherhood, a more positive mood, and

女人發揮母性時滿足感較高、進入較正面的情緒，

generally good experiences with being a mother.

且普遍來說這樣的經驗都十分可貴。

Conversely, when the amygdala did not become more sensitive during motherhood, it ended

相反地，若杏仁核在那段育嬰其並沒有變得更加敏銳的話，最終會

up affecting the bond between mother and child negatively. The women who had reduced amygdala

對媽媽與小孩間連結的負面影響。那些對於看見自己孩子照片時，杏仁核活動是減少的

responses to photos of their babies reported poorer quality of maternal experience, including

女人們，據報導她們的養育經驗的品質是比較差的，包括了

increased levels of stress and anxiety. Essentially, these mothers felt they were having a hard

較高的壓力和焦慮感。基本上，這些媽媽們認為自己那段時間過得較

time. We know from other studies how important activating these brain regions can be in buffering

痛苦。其他研究指出，這些大腦區域的激活

against negative emotions or feelings in new mothers. In fact, postpartum depression is

對於負面情緒或感覺的緩衝是十分重要的。事實上，產後憂鬱症與

associated with the binding sensitivity of receptors in the brain that affect the amygdala

影響腦中的杏仁核的受器連結敏感程度以及

and other structures involved in the dopamine reward system.

其他牽涉多巴胺回饋系統的結構有關

This is the same system that is activated when we fall in love with our high school

這系統也是我們會愛上高中情人的主要原因

sweetheart. In fact, studies have shown that the same neurological processes are involved

事實上，研究指出浪漫戀愛的神經性過程與

in falling in love romantically as with falling in love with your baby. One hormone involved

你愛上你的孩子之神經性過程是相同的。其中，不可或缺的角色之一

in this process is oxytocin - commonly dubbed the love hormone for its role in bonding and

就是血清素，因為其在戀愛和連結的過程所扮演的角色，所以普遍被稱作

affection. Your body releases it when you hug someone or cuddle - it’s when you get

戀愛賀爾蒙。你的身體在你擁抱某人時會釋放它，這是你感到

that “ahhhh” feeling and everything is ok.

怦然心動的感受時的原因。

But it is also released when women are giving birth, it’s associated

它也在女人生產時會釋放，它與

with breastfeeding, and it facilitates bonding with a newborn. The hormone spikes during

哺乳過程有關，且它強化媽媽與新生兒的連結。這種賀爾蒙在

pregnancy and regions with high density of receptors for oxytocin, like the amygdala,

懷孕中以及高密度血清素受器的區域濃度最高，像是在杏仁核區

are specifically activated in mothers’ brains when responding to babies faces and scents.

當在看見寶寶的臉或聞到寶寶的氣味時媽媽腦中的杏仁核區就會特別被活化

In one study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers gave women baby

在心理學前瞻期刊中的一個研究中的研究人員拿給女人兩天大的小孩穿過的

pajamas that were worn by two day old newborns. In one group were mothers who had just given

睡衣。其中一組是剛生產完的媽媽

birth and in the other, women who had never had children. When the women were asked to

另一組則是從未生過小孩的女人。當女人們被要求去

sniff the PJs, all women could smell the “baby scent” to the same degree. But what was

聞那些睡衣，所有的女人都會聞到相同程度的「嬰孩味」。但在她們

happening in their brains, was different. Mothers had more intense brain activity in

腦中發生的變化卻是不同的。那些剛生產完的母親與沒生過小孩的女人相比

the dopamine reward system, than women had never had children. This system is involved

在多巴胺回饋系統的區域具有更強烈的腦部活動。這個系統牽涉

in reward learning and its the same that makes us crave certain foods or become addicted

了回饋學習以及這是使我們特別喜愛某種食物或者對某種藥物上癮的

to drugs. It motivates us to act in ways that get us closer to the reward - in mother’s

機制。它驅動了我們想盡辦法去獲取那些獎勵、回饋，在媽媽的

cases, a baby. So yes, mothers can pretty much be addicted to babies.

情境裡，就是希望能見到小孩。所以是的，母親真的可能會對小孩上癮

It’s why moms can’t stop with the kisses - even when you’re 22. So how about you

這是為何母親對小孩親個不停，即使你已經22歲了。所以

show your mom some love in return - with something special from Kay Jewelers. Because, every

何不考慮與Kay Jewelers一起以某些特別的方式回應一下你媽媽的愛。因為

kiss begins with Kay. Look at the spelling, it’s right there. Kay Jewelers is one of

每個吻都是從Kay開始的。看看怎麼拼，就在這邊。Kay Jewelers 是我們

our sponsors at Discovery Digital, they help keep the lights on and the episodes coming,

在Discovery Digital 上的其中一個贊助者，她們讓我們能夠繼續製作節目

so if you want score bonus points with mom, go ahead and check out Kay’s line of jewelry.

所以你若想要得到媽媽紅利點數，就到Kay的珠寶商店看看囉。