Effects of Ketogenic Diet Supplementation on Epilepsy in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

T he most common accepted definition for intractable epilepsy is inadequate seizure control despite appropriate medical therapy with at least 2 AEDs in maximally tolerated doses for 18 months- 2 years or adequate seizure control with unacceptable drug-related side effects. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the role of ketogenic diet in improving the quality of life of the patients with intractable epilepsy through assessment of the efficacy and tolerability of the diet. This study was conducted on 7 patients with intractable epilepsy with age ranging from 1-36 months (mean age 1.63 +/- 1.13). They were 4 males and 3 females. The patients were recruited from Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Children Hospital Ain Shams University, during the period from April 2013 till April 2014. They were compared before initiation of the diet and after 9 months.