Ketogenic diet in Indian children with uncontrolled epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in Indian children with uncontrolled epilepsy.


METHODS
Prospective observational study.


METHODS
Hospital based.


METHODS
105 children (age 4 months to 18 years) with uncontrolled epilepsy enrolled in the ketogenic diet program over a period of 9 years and followed up for 25.7+/- 20.3 months (median:17 months) on the ketogenic diet.


METHODS
Reduction in seizure frequency and comparison of improvement in two main groups of epilepsies, namely epileptic encephalopathies and localization related epilepsies.


RESULTS
Thirty seven (35%) out of 105 children dropped out of the study and 68 remained on the diet. Thirty nine (37%) achieved 100% control, 23 (22%) achieved between 90 and 99% control, 7 (6.8%) achieved between 75 and 90% control, and 16 (15.2%) achieved between 50 and 75% control. Twenty (19%) achieved less than 50% control. Epileptic encephalopathies had a better response than localization related epilepsies.


CONCLUSIONS
The Indian version of ketogenic diet used is well tolerated and efficacious in controlling difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. Epileptic encephalopathies respond better than localization related epilepsies.
Department of Neurology, Shushrusha Hospital, Mumbai, India. jsvpnat@hotmail.com
J K
JK
Nathan
A S
AS
Purandare
Z B
ZB
Parekh
H V
HV
Manohar
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic / Q000379:methods*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome