The ketogenic diet is an accepted and effective method for treatment of refractory
epilepsy in children. The diet consists of foods or formulas that are high in fat
and low in carbohydrate, with controlled amounts of protein, and is designed to induce
a continuous state of ketosis. The presence of ketones in the body is one of the proposed
mechanisms that may prohibit seizures, although this remains unproven. Children following
the ketogenic diet are expected to have high levels of ketones in the body to successfully
reduce seizures (
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References
- The Ketogenic Diet. 3rd ed. Demos Medical Publishing, Inc, New York, NY2000
- Changes in growth and seizure reduction in children on the ketogenic diet as a treatment for intractable epilepsy.J Am Diet Assoc. 2005; 105: 718-725
- The ketogenic diet.Pediatrics. 2001; 108: 898-905
- Growth retardation in children with epilepsy on the ketogenic diet.J Am Diet Assoc. 2002; 102: 405-407
Article info
Footnotes
This article was written by Kathy B. Santoro, MEd, RD, registered dietitian III, and Therese O’Flaherty, MS, RD, registered dietitian III, of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
