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Babysitting and Brain Function

It’s no secret that being around small children can keep you on your toes, but a 2014 study in Australia found a connection between babysitting grandchildren and a grandparent’s cognitive function. According to a report at Alzheimers.net, Researchers from the Women’s Health Aging Project in Australia found a possible lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s in post-menopausal women who spend one day a week caring for their grandchildren. However, researchers also found that being a full-time caregiver (five or more days per week) was associated with a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders. The study tracked 186 women who cared for their grandchildren at least one day per week.

Since then, researchers in South Africa found a similar correlation between minding grandchildren and improved cognitive function compared to non-caregiving grandparents regardless of gender. A 2022 study looking at grandparents in the United States and China similarly found that grandparenting was associated with “less decline in episodic memory for grandparents” and that greater levels of involvement with grandchildren had “no negative effect on mental status” and cognitive function.