title: Growth of children on the ketogenic diet.
abstract: This is a prospective cohort study of 237 children (130 males, 107 females) placed on the ketogenic diet for control of intractable epilepsy (mean age at starting diet 3 years 8 months; age range 2 months to 9 years 10 months); average length of follow-up was 308 days. There were 133 children on the diet at 1 year and 76 at 2 years. Height and weight measurements were converted into age- and sex-appropriate z scores. There was a rapid drop in weight z scores in the first 3 months. After this initial period, the weight z score remained constant in children who started the diet below the median weight for their age and sex, although z scores continued to decrease in children starting above the median. There was a small decrease in height z scores in the first 6 months (<0.5); however, there were larger changes by 2 years. There was no difference based on sex for either height or weight. The ketogenic diet generally provides sufficient nutrition to maintain growth within normal parameters over a defined period. Very young children grow poorly on the diet and should be followed-up carefully over long periods of use.
authors.affiliation: The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. evining@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Eileen P G
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Vining
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pyzik
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGrogan
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hladky
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kriegler
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D007657:Ketone Bodies