We increasingly understand Alzheimer's better. We know, for example, that dementia, its main consequence, is caused by the progressive degeneration of neurons due to an excessive accumulation of proteins called β-amyloid and tau. This has allowed the design of new ways to diagnose the disease and also the first specific drugs that can slightly slow its progress. But we still have many unanswered questions, and one of the most important is why women have a higher risk of suffering from it.

How many times have you imagined pregnancy as a hormonal tsunami that changes you forever? Well, you can keep doing so, because the latest scientific research is showing that this upheaval is not just an emotional metaphor, but a physical transformation of the architecture of the female brain. To understand the magnitude of this change, neuroscientist Susana Carmona illustrates it by explaining that the hormonal fluctuations that accumulate during the nine months of pregnancy are equivalent to those a non-pregnant woman would experience over about 60 years of menstrual cycles. Furthermore, she explains that a study by her team with 127 mothers followed before, during, and after their first gestation has shown that practically all regions of the brain change. And how is it achieved that this brain transformation lasts for years or decades? This is where the latest discoveries in molecular neurobiology from Jennifer C. O'Chan's team come in, published a month ago in Nature. Laboratory experiments conducted with mice showed that the brain uses dopamine – the neurotransmitter normally associated with pleasure and motivation – as if it were a paint roller. By decreasing the levels of this substance in a key area called the dorsal hippocampus (essential for memory and learning), a permanent "molecular tattoo" is generated.This change gives mother mice superpowers: better contextual memory, optimized learning ability, and greater speed in retrieving pups when in danger. Research in these animals also shows that if dopamine is artificially blocked in virgin female mice, their brains mimic those of mothers, and they begin to act as expert protectors and gather pups without ever having been pregnant.However, this evolutionary design has an Achilles' heel: chronic postpartum stress. As Carmona points out, postpartum mental disorders affect one in five mothers, and suicide associated with perinatal depression is one of the leading causes of maternal death in developed countries. For his part, O'Chan shows how chronic stress abnormally alters dopamine in the hippocampus of mice and erases the brain's adaptation to motherhood, eliminating natural protective instincts and cognitive advantages. Fortunately, science is already working on solutions. Among other things, the "digital twin of the maternal brain" is being developed, a virtual model that will allow crossing hormonal and brain data to predict the risk of postpartum depression before the first symptoms appear. Certainly, biology does an impressive job sculpting mothers' brains to welcome life, but it is we, as a society, who have the obligation to reduce social stress, offer support, and protect the postpartum period. Caring for a mother means safeguarding the brain health of the people who make our future possible.

Kypros Nicolaides (1953, Cyprus) is a doctor and professor at King's College London, from where he has led important advances in prenatal diagnosis and the prevention and treatment of complications during pregnancy. Considered a leading figure in fetal medicine, among his achievements is the creation of combined screening to detect chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, which has become the international standard for pregnancy monitoring. L'ARA interviews Nicolaides in Barcelona, where he received the XX Dexeus Dona Foundation International Award, a recognition of his career.

Actress Natalie Portman, 44, told the magazine The actress's father is a gynecologist specializing in fertility, which is why Portman says she is very aware of the ordeal of having problems conceiving. "I grew up hearing about how difficult it is to get pregnant – she says –. I have so many people I love who have gone through so much that I also want to be respectful of this issue. It's a very beautiful and joyful thing, and it's not easy either." The actress adds that, for this reason, she knows how lucky she is to have become pregnant. "I am very aware of it and very grateful for it. I feel deep appreciation and gratitude," she emphasizes.

I remember going shopping for clothes with my mother who had that habit of everything having to match, everything having to go together. There was that obsession with making sure any piece you bought matched the clothes you already had.This is no longer the case with your daughters. Do you have many arguments about clothes?

News in 3Cat. A woman applies for a job at the Som Energia cooperative. She's pregnant and doesn't have high hopes, but she applies anyway. Her starting point is realistic. Who would hire a pregnant woman? The unusual thing is that, after the interview, she's told she's been chosen from among the 13 candidates. The job is hers, despite being pregnant. Everyone's happy. Overjoyed. Until the administration gets involved.

The effect of hormones on brain function is a controversial topic because it lends itself to abuse by those seeking scientific confirmation of their biases. We have often heard that women's brains are not as good as men's in processes requiring mathematical skills, for example. Sexist statements of this kind are easy oversimplifications of an extremely complex and interesting phenomenon, which slow down research in this field. Because what is evident is that all the body's tissues are subject to the strong biological influence of these powerful molecules called hormones. If there are significant differences in the physiology of the liver, heart, or immune system between men and women, to cite a few well-studied examples, it would be very strange if the brain were the only organ that escaped their influence. A few years ago, a study was conducted that demonstrated that in humans, the male brain cannot be macroscopically distinguished from the female brain. It stirred up quite a controversy because it seemed to disprove the importance of hormones. The thing is, functional differences aren't necessarily visible to the naked eye.

Every time someone enters, the door lets in a blast of cold air. The greeting is instantaneous, familiar. For a moment, it interrupts the noise of the coffee maker and the clinking of spoons. A few children's shouts, equally unpredictable, also break the silence. It's early enough for a Saturday.

Pregnancy is a very important stage in a woman's life. Many changes occur on different levels—physical, emotional, social, etc.—and, especially, self-care becomes crucial. Some aspects of this attention to personal well-being are within the control of the pregnant woman and her immediate environment, but others, in many cases, are beyond their reach. This is the case with the effects of climate change and pollution, especially relevant in urban contexts, which can affect pregnancy and early childhood, and which are of increasing concern to these groups.

Chef Arnau París, one of the faces of the program Kitchens The TV3 presenter will become a father of twins with his partner, fellow chef Rais Esteve. They announced the news a few days ago with a funny video on Instagram accompanied by the caption: "We've been following our best recipe for 21 weeks. And yes, twins are on the way."

Gently, the nurse takes his arm and injects the IV, which in the coming hours will be the gateway for chemicals that until recently were unknown to me: rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin. In recent days, clumps of hair have fallen relentlessly, leaving the shower tray saddened by a wavy farewell to a youth now at a standstill. And yet, many still resist the onslaught, hiding behind a cap that will be their new companion in the coming months.

Catalan actress Úrsula Corberó announced this Tuesday on Instagram that she is pregnant with her first child with Argentine actor Ricardo 'Chino' Darín. She made the announcement with an image in which she is seen reclining on a sofa, discreetly showing her baby bump for the first time, accompanied by the comment "This is not AI" with a heart and an excited emoji, a way of assuring her followers of the authenticity of the news.

Gynecologist and obstetrician Marimer Pérez has been supporting women for over twenty years during one of the most intense and transformative moments in life: childbirth. With a respectful and humane perspective on motherhood, Pérez—also founder of the women's health center WoMer—has just published You don't let me go (Lunwerg, 2025), a book in which he collects real stories experienced throughout his professional career as an obstetrician.

Dressing during pregnancy, showing off your stomach, not spending too much, and doing so with sustainability and comfort in mind isn't easy, but it's not impossible either. Although a woman's body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy, it's not necessary to change your entire wardrobe to wear clothes that are flattering, skin- and environmentally friendly, and, above all, long-lasting. During the first trimester, nothing extra is needed, and everything can be purchased as your belly grows, taking into account your needs. "The belly starts to become considerable after eighteen or twenty weeks," warns midwife Meritxell Gómez, "that's a short time to spend a lot." Therefore, she recommends avoiding buying "excess" clothing.

Assisted reproduction procedures have an emotional, physical, and economic impact. We spoke with women about their experience.

One in six people suffers from infertility problems, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and one in 10 children are now born through assisted reproduction techniques in Spain—in 2022, there were 39,546 babies, according to the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF), out of 16,719 born. in vitro (IVF) and 31,635 artificial inseminations (AI). Although the success of these techniques is indisputable, the figures already show that going through an assisted reproduction process is not a piece of cake. The success rates, which depend on age and other factors, are 13.7% in the case of artificial insemination, and 43.8% in each cycle ofin vitro which reaches embryo transfer (when the embryo is placed in the uterus), which occurs in 60% of the cycles initiated.

The climate crisis has a direct impact on people's health: the incidence of diseases increases, virus spread accelerates And there is increased preventable mortality associated with high temperatures. Now, a report by Climate Central—a US-based climate change communications and research organization—warns that extreme heat is also a direct threat to maternal health, as it increases the risk of premature birth. According to this analysis, in Barcelona, ​​between 2020 and 2024, there were an average of 28 additional days of risky heat during pregnancy each year. This means that, due to the effects of the climate emergency, days of extreme heat that put the health of pregnant women at risk have increased by 68% in the Catalan capital.

"I'm excited and very happy, but I think a lot about the future and sometimes I think he'll be alone or that when I retire he'll be 16," admits Carmen Martín, who is playing with little Mati on the floor of their dining room. She is 48 years old and he is a year and a half old. When she met her current partner, they were both in their forties, and she already knew she wasn't going to be a mother, that the time had passed. But he really wanted to, he convinced her, and they went to a fertility clinic to see what options they had. "If we want to be parents, we have to be now," she recalls, referring to the urgency and excitement of that moment. At the center, they underwent a study that revealed that Carmen would no longer be able to have children with her own eggs; she needed those of a donor to have a better chance of getting pregnant. The surprise came when she succeeded on the first try, which is very difficult, since it usually takes several attempts.

Deaths among women during pregnancy or childbirth have fallen by 40% over the past century, but the numbers are still staggering. In 2023, 260,000 women lost their lives worldwide during pregnancy, childbirth, or the immediate postpartum period. That's one maternal death every two minutes on average, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which fears the numbers will rise again due to cuts in international health cooperation being made by various countries, led this year by the United States.

Alicia Andrés He remembers the "tension" and "fear" that were experienced in the hospital. On March 12, 2020, she gave birth to her first child, Liam. A nurse entered the room in tears and told her and her partner that no one was to touch the baby and that they should hurry home. Alicia's parents had driven from Málaga, where they live, to meet their first grandchild. The next day, they were retracing their steps to return before the roads were closed. On March 14, 2020, a state of emergency was declared due to the COVID pandemic. Gemma was separated from her daughter She was only born because she tested positive for COVID. I could only pick her up to breastfeed her. According to the restrictive protocol that was then in place and later relaxed, babies had to be separated from COVID-positive mothers, skin-to-skin contact was not allowed, they were forced to maintain a distance of two meters between the bed and the crib, and the umbilical cord was cut early. Laura gave birth alone, was strapped down during the C-section, was not allowed to hold her daughter, and found no help with the difficult breastfeeding process.