In a prospective study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in children with severe, refractory epilepsy, data were collected on medication changes over 1 year. Cost reductions in medications were calculated over the first year and estimated for a second year. Fifty-seven percent of the children stayed on the diet for 1 year, and 74% of these children had their number of medications reduced. Forty-eight percent of children who stayed on the diet were on no medications at 12 months follow-up. Daily medication costs were reduced by nearly 70%. (J Child Neurol 1999;14:469-471).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Kinsman SL, Vining Epg, Quaskey S., et al: Efficacy of the ketogenic diet for intractable seizure disorders: Review of 58 cases. Epilepsia1992; 33:1132-1136.
2.
Vining Epg, Freeman JM, Ballaban-Gil K., et al: A multi-center study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet. Arch Neurol1998;55:1433-1437.
3.
Freeman JM, Vining Epg, Pillas DJ, et al: The efficacy of the ketogenic diet—1998: A prospective evaluation of intervention in 150 children. Pediatrics1998;102:1358-1363.
4.
Freeman JM, Kelly MT, Freeman JB: The Epilepsy Diet Treatment: An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet . New York, Demos, 1996.
5.
Glauser TA: Preliminary observations on topiramate in pediatric epilepsies. EpiLepsia1997;38(Suppl 1):S37-41.
6.
Buoni S., Grosso S., Fois A.: Lamotrigrine treatment in childhood drug resistant epilepsy. J Child Neurol1998;13:163-167.
7.
Holt PJ, Barry RM, O'Leary EO: Monthly cost of the ketogenic diet, abstract. Epilepsia1995;36:127.
