The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soon expected to give its approval for the first birth control pill that is designed to let women suppress their menstrual cycle indefinitely.

Lybrel, a drug from Madison, New Jersey-based company Wyeth would be the first pill to be taken continuously and the fourth new oral contraceptive that does not follow the standard schedule of 21 daily active pills, followed by seven sugar pills, a formula used to imitate a woman's monthly cycle

A study has found that expectant mothers who took an epilepsy drug valproate during their pregnancy are at greater risk of bearing children with lower IQ or in worse cases, be born with mental retardation.

The drug valproate is already at the center of a British court action after claims from nearly 140 British families that it has harmed children, many of whom are suffering from fetal anti-convulsant syndrome

Individuals who suffer from traumatic brain injuries that cause internal brain bleeding are at high risk for developing epilepsy at a later date, months or even years later. This accounts for roughly twenty-five percent of epileptic sufferers.

However, new treatments are now being researched to predict and possibly avoid the development of epilepsy from ever occurring later on

U.S. biologists have identified an alternative died-based method of treating brain cancer. The diet identified by the researchers is KetoCal, a commercially available high fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to treat epilepsy in children. Researchers found it can check the growth of brain tumors.

The diet-based treatment, identified by Boston College biology professor Tom Seyfried and other researchers, does not involve administering any toxic chemicals, radiation or invasive surgical procedures. Researchers reach on conclusion after studying its impact on mice

A scientist said Monday that owning a dog is beneficial for the mental and physical health of the owner. Dr. Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at the Canine Behavior Center of Queens University in Belfast, said a study of dog owners showed they have lower cholesterol and blood pressure and fewer minor physical ailments than people who do not own dogs. People who have dogs are also less likely to develop serious medical problems, she said.

Wells' research was published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. She reviewed several studies on pet owners and found that a pet dog helps their owners recover more quickly from serious illnesses, including heart attacks