So many things change for a woman during pregnancy, and one of them could be her brain. New research suggests "mommy brain" could be a "real thing," said The Washington Post. But the findings are a lot more complex than the "pop culture conception" of young mothers becoming "cognitively fuzzy and absent-minded." 

Gray and white matter 
The brain undergoes a "sweeping reorganization" when a woman is expecting a baby, said The Guardian, and few areas are untouched by the process. In the new study, regular MRI scans from before conception until two years after childbirth revealed "widespread" changes in the mother's brain. 

Some regions of the brain, "especially those involved in social and emotional processing," got smaller, possibly "undergoing a fine-tuning process in preparation for parenting," said The New York Times. While gray matter decreased, there were significant increases in white matter, the nerve fibers that connect neurons and help different brain regions communicate. All of this remodeling, or neuroplasticity, took place across the brain at three times the rate seen in eight nonpregnant women who also had their brains scanned over the same period. 

This "probably enables the onset of certain maternal behaviors," said New Scientist. The pattern had already been seen in rodents, in which increases in steroid hormones during pregnancy "trigger brain changes" that "enhance the mother's sensitivity to smells and sounds from her pups." 

Scratching the surface 
Pregnancy is a "linchpin of human existence," said The Washington Post, but the maternal brain has been "understudied and underappreciated" until now. Several experts have welcomed the progress. The study is "truly heroic," Gina Rippon, of Aston University in Birmingham, said to The Guardian.

Some of the brain developments were still present two years after childbirth, "hinting at cellular changes in the organ" that could be permanent, said the paper. The study "really opens up more questions than it answers," and "we're really just starting to scratch the surface," Dr. Elizabeth Chrastil, of the University of California, Irvine, said to The Guardian. A greater understanding of the brain's "remodeling" could explain several pregnancy-related behaviors, said New Scientist, as well as help people at risk of mental health conditions.

Only one in five people who need hearing aids in the U.S. use them, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. This statistic can be tied to the stigma surrounding hearing-assistance devices. Now, the audio industry is taking steps to make hearing aids more ubiquitous and accessible.

Why are hearing aids stigmatized?
People may "avoid hearing aids for a number of reasons," said Florida audiologist Lindsey Banks to Forbes. Some are "concerned that hearing specialists are focused on selling them hearing aids." Another factor is cost, as the average price of a hearing aid is $2,000, and Medicare and many insurance companies don't cover it. 

Accessibility is also at play. Hearing aids were previously only available with a prescription, though the Food and Drug Administration approved them for over-the-counter sales in 2022.

Since hearing aids are "often associated with aging and disability, some people are hesitant to use them for fear of being seen as old or incapable," audiologist Abram Bailey said to Forbes. The outlet surveyed 500 adults with diagnosed hearing loss and found that nearly half believe there's a "stigma around wearing a hearing aid." 

As a result, the average adult with hearing loss "waits seven to 10 years to get a hearing device," said AARP. Additionally, only "20% to 30% of all adults who could benefit from a hearing solution end up getting one."

What is the audio industry doing?
Some companies are working to make hearing aids more affordable, available and fashionable for a growing market. Apple recently received FDA approval for its AirPods Pro 2, which look like conventional headphones. Other over-the-counter hearing aids on the market include brands such as Sony and JLab, while EssilorLuxottica "plans to release the first-ever hearing aid eyeglasses later this year," said The Atlantic. 

Over the past two years, hearing aids have "become cheaper, more accessible and arguably cooler than they have ever been," added The Atlantic. This might be the beginning of lessening the stigma. "Everybody wears AirPods," hearing-loss advocate Katherine Bouton said to the outlet. So the "more you see people wearing something, the more normal it becomes."