Babies boost mothers' intelligence

Babies not only bring happiness in family but they also boost the intelligence level of their mothers, a new study has claimed.

Previous studies had shown pregnant women suffer a decrease in mental capacity, dubbed "baby brain". Now, a team at Richmond University has found that having a toddler makes a woman brighter.

According to researchers, moms-to-be rewire their brains to cope with motherhood -- and their intelligence soars when the tots are actually born.

They have based their findings on an experiment on laboratory rodents, which showed that mother rats become braver and faster at finding food after their babies are born, The Sun reported.

And the increased ability could curb Alzheimer's, according to the researchers.

"The changes could last for the rest of their lives," lead researcher Prof Craig Kinsley of Richmond University was quoted by the British tabloid as saying.