Fatherhood Makes Guys Smarter

So, guys gain an average of 14 pounds while their ladies are pregnant. Not so cute. But Craig Kinsley and Kelly Lambert recently released a study that shows that fatherhood has some pretty great side effects for dudes. According to their research, male hormones are altered when a guy is expecting or has a baby, making him “more canny and resourceful.” The chemistry is simple. A man’s testosterone level lowers when he lives with a woman he loves—be it girlfriend or wife—and his prolactin level rises when he has a child, making him more sympathetic, motivated to care for his kids, and better at handling stress. Now that gets a big awww. [Utne Reader]