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Longer Pregnancy, Breastfeeding Boosts Memory in Older Women

2/4/2026

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Summary

Story summary

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers report that longer pregnancy and breastfeeding may improve global cognition and memory in postmenopausal women.
The study analyzed data from more than 7,000 women around age 70.
Women pregnant for an average of 30.5 months scored 0.31% higher than those never pregnant.
Each additional month of breastfeeding yielded similar cognitive gains, per the researchers.

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Story summary

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers report that longer pregnancy and breastfeeding may improve global cognition and memory in postmenopausal women.
The study analyzed data from more than 7,000 women around age 70.
Women pregnant for an average of 30.5 months scored 0.31% higher than those never pregnant.
Each additional month of breastfeeding yielded similar cognitive gains, per the researchers.