Children with epilepsy who do not respond well to anti-seizure medications often benefit from a dramatic change in diet. The ketogenic diet, used since the 1920s, is a complementary therapy for epileptic children. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the diet is beneficial for two out of every three children with epilepsy and may completely prevent seizures in one out of three. The ketogenic diet is a medical treatment that must be closely monitored by the child's health care provider.
About the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, says Mayo Clinic neurologist Jerry W. Swanson, M.D. Eighty percent of calories come from fat, with the remaining 20 percent derived from protein and carbohydrates. A child who eats 2,000 calories a day may, for example, consume 9 tbsp. butter, 6 oz. of cream, and 3 oz. of both meat and vegetables. Few grains, fruit or other types of dairy products are permitted on the diet and those that are allowed are extremely limited. The ketogenic diet can last for up to two years, during which time mealtime rules must be diligently employed by parents and caretakers.
Why It Works
It's not clear how the ketogenic diet prevents seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic, but experts suggest that the some effects of the diet mimic starvation, which inhibits seizures. The diet makes the child's body produce ketones, which cause the body to burn fat rather than glucose. Swanson says that when a child is treated using the diet, a 24-hour fasting period may be first employed so the child burns up all glucose that was stored.
Difficulties
It's easy for children to fall off the ketogenic diet, says Gigi Smith, R.N., the Medical University of South Carolina's Pediatric Epilepsy Program coordinator. The child's family must make a wholehearted commitment to treatment. This takes a lot of time, planning and preparation. Additionally, Smith points out that daycare instructors, teachers and family members must also be on board. In many cases, parents must educate the educators of their child's dietary requirements. Parents have resorted to putting locks on food cabinets and forbidding outside food from entering the home to help children on the diet resist temptation.
Concerns
There are risks associated with the ketogenic diet. According to MUSC, these are kidney stones, hypoglycemia and rarely, complications with metabolism. High cholesterol is also a possibility. According to a study published in the June 2008 edition of The Lancet Neurology, the most frequent side effects of the ketogenic diet were constipation, vomiting, lack of energy and hunger. Weight gain is generally not a concern, says the Epilepsy Foundation. The amount of food consumed by the child is carefully meted out so that he or she receives all the calories needed.
Other
Children on the diet still take anti-seizure medications, Swanson says, although some are eventually able to take lower dosages. There are less restrictive versions of the ketogenic diet that have worked for adult patients, says the Mayo Clinic. As mentioned, the ketogenic diet is a treatment. The diet should not be not administered by parents who are not working closely with the child's doctor and a knowledgeable dietitian.
