Description: Neurologists now clearly recognize that changes in seizure frequency parallel the menstrual cycle in many women, and new approaches are emerging to help women deal with these changes. Neurologists are also learning that birth control pills often do not work well for women who take certain seizure medicines (including some of the newer ones, which generally offer fewer unwanted side effects). And they are learning the steps that improve the likelihood that a woman with epilepsy will have a safe pregnancy and a healthy child: