Vitamin D Status in Children with Intractable Epilepsy on Ketogenic Diet

Abstract

SUMMARY A lmost all AEDs affect calcium metabolism and vitamin D serum levels. Moreover ketogenic diet found to affect both. And cause both are long term treatments, so we must give an attention to that trying to perform prophylactic supplementations to both groups. Our cross-sectional study was done at Ain-Shams university children’s hospital at neurology and nutrition clinic in the period between October 2013 and December 2014. We grouped patients in two groups, ketogenic diet group (eight patients on ketocal and modified atkins) and non-ketogenic group (twenty patients with intractable epilepsy and on multi antiepileptic drugs). Personal and dietary history were taken, anthropometric measurements were taken also. Regarding laboratory investigations we measured serum vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase to all patients. Statistical analysis of data obtained from the present study revealed the following results: • High prevalence of faulty fed patients in both groups but more in ketogenic diet group (75%). • There was highly significant correlation between vitamin D and duration on ketogenic diet • There was highly significant correlation between phosphorus and duration on ketogenic diet, also there was significant correlation between calcium and duration on ketogenic diet. • High significant negative correlation between duration on ketogenic diet and serum vitamin D level and serum phosphorus level, also significant correlation between duration and serum calcium level found. Yet no significant correlation found between duration and alkaline phosphatase. • There was no significant relation between dietary history and vitamin D levels.