Cognitive failure during pregnancy

Abstract

Many women report an increased incidence of cognitive failure in pregnancy. Psychological literature on cognitive failure suggests that it occurs more frequently at times of stress, when task demands are high and when people undergo a disruption in routine, all of which could apply to pregnancy. This study investigates links between women's reported cognitive failure during pregnancy and psychological and social factors. Thirty-one pregnant women were interviewed and asked to complete the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire and Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire at 4-weekly intervals during their pregnancy. The results suggest that women's cognitive failure scores in pregnancy are not significantly higher than the general female population, though some of the women studied did report very frequent cognitive failures. Levels of reported cognitive failure were related to maternal occupation, psychological and physical health prior to pregnancy. Differences in reported cognitive failure during pregnancy were found between those women who reported suffering from PMS before pregnancy and those who did not. The relationship with PMS suggests that either some women may be more susceptible to hormonal change and sensitized to their own behaviour or that these women have different expectations of pregnancy, which may result in increased reporting of cognitive failure.