The ketogenic diet in childhood epilepsy: where are we now?
- 1Neurosciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital & National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy, London, UK
- 2Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK
- 3Department of Paediatric Neurology, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- 4Matthew's Friends & Parent Representative—Ketogenic Diet Professionals Advisory Group (KetoPAG), UK
- 5Department of Paediatric Neurology, Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Correspondence to Professor J H Cross, Neurosciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, The Wolfson Centre, Mecklenburgh Square, London WC1N 2AP, UK; hcross{at}ich.ucl.ac.uk
- Accepted 22 November 2009
- Published Online First 23 April 2010
Abstract
The ketogenic diet is a therapeutic dietary treatment for epilepsy in children which is resistant to medication. Until recently, evidence for use and resources available has been sparse. This review aims to provide a summary of the evidence supporting its use in children, some guidance towards its implementation and the services currently available in the UK.
Footnotes
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Funding UCL Institute of Child Health received funding as a National Institute for Health & Research Specialist Biomedical Research Centre.
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Competing interests JHC has received funding from HSA, Smiths Charity, SHS, Matthews Friends and the Milk Development Council for ketogenic diet study; SP has received an honorarium from SHS and RW an educational grant.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
