"Baby brain" is a myth and having a child actually makes you better employee, a new study has found.

Scientists found no evidence behind the popular idea that women's memory and thinking suffers as a result of carrying a child.

Pregnancy does change the brain - but it actually makes mothers better able to handle stress, think strategically and deal with emotional turmoil, they found.

They suggested that the changes can makes mothers better employees and equip them to deal with high-level managerial roles, according to a report of the study in the New Scientist magazine.

Women's brains are affected by pregnancy, including shrinking during the later months, a fact which may have helped seed the belief in 'baby brain'.

But changes continue apace after birth, with mothers developing extra capacity to deal with the challenges of their offspring.

Areas of the brain linked to reasoning, judgement and empathy actually expand in the first four months after birth, scientists said.

At the same time, mothers' see a reduction in the 'fight or flight' stress response, making them better able to handle high-pressure environments.

Scientists added that working mothers must also develop excellent multi-tasking and planning skills to manage all the different areas of their life.