In 2020, a groundbreaking study showed that having a baby changes a father’s brain anatomy.[16] The brains of men were studied before their partners became pregnant and after the baby was born. First-time fathers showed a significant reduction in cortical volume and thickness. The higher the volume reduction, the stronger the father’s brain responses to pictures of his baby. Other studies found that the hands-on time a father spends with an infant, and even how affectionate he is, is associated with different hormonal and neural changes, such as the reduction of testosterone, and increases in
...more
