KETOGENIC DIET IN THE TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5509Keywords:
Ketogenic Diet, Drug-Resistant Epilepsy, Children, Modified Atkins Diet, Dietetic Management, Antiseizure MedicationAbstract
Objectives: This review assesses the clinical efficacy of ketogenic diet therapy (KDT) for pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy. We also examine safety profiles and practical protocol implementation.
Methods: Evidence was synthesized from recent randomized controlled trials. We incorporated systematic reviews alongside large-scale meta-analyses to investigate specific KDT variants. The evaluated protocols included the classic ketogenic diet, the modified Atkins diet, and low glycemic index therapy. The target demographic was entirely restricted to patients aged 0 to 18 years who were unresponsive to two or more antiepileptic drugs.
Key findings: The data indicate that roughly half of pediatric patients achieve a seizure frequency reduction of 50% or greater. Children utilizing KDT are over five times more likely to experience this reduction compared to those receiving standard pharmacological care. The classic formulation is the benchmark for infants and patients requiring enteral feeding. Less restrictive variants provide better palatability for older children. They maintain clinically significant efficacy, though median seizure reduction occasionally trends lower than the strict classic diet. Gastrointestinal adverse effects happen frequently during initiation. Vomiting and constipation are typical but easily managed in a clinical setting. Recent data show the diet works as effectively as adding a new antiseizure medication for infants as young as one month.
Conclusion: Ketogenic diet therapy provides a highly potent non-pharmacological treatment for refractory pediatric epilepsy. Long-term adherence requires highly individualized dietary adjustments. Furthermore, clinical success demands rigorous multidisciplinary oversight coupled with extensive family training.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Magdalena Maroszek, Małgorzata Ziółek, Kornelia Domagała, Kamil Szymczak, Bartosz Janik, Ariadna Bakier, Filip Gałązka, Albert Wiatr, Agata Olecka, Jakub Cegielski
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