There are a lot of parents that wonder whether a certain diet called the ketogenic diet is going to help their children who have certain problems with epilepsy and cannot control it. This particular diet is considered to be an alternative therapy for epilepsy. First of all, parents need to know that difficult-to-control epilepsy is one where a person has more than two seizures within a period of seven days even though a person is following the instructions given to him or her by the doctor and taking more than two anticonvulsant medications. People should also know that the diet has not been properly tested on adults and children who are younger than one year of age.
Parents who are willing for their child to start the diet must first talk to a physician before taking any steps. Medical supervision is very important.
Will the child be able to stop taking anticonvulsant medications?
This is another question that almost all parents ask and they should know that the expert’s goal is that the child becomes free of both seizures and medications thanks to the diet. However, that is not possible in every case of children with epilepsy. Will the child be on any other medications, like antibiotics while on a diet?
It is important for the parents to know that they should avoid giving the children any medications that contain carbohydrates. The main reason why that is so, is because the diet is pretty sensitive to even the smallest amount of carbohydrates.
Do the children gain weight when on ketogenic diet?
A lot of parents worry about this fact and they should know that the children who are on this particular diet do not gain any significant weight in almost all cases. A lot of attention is spent on the number of calories.
How long does the diet last?
In most cases when a child has not experienced any seizures for a period of two years, they no longer follow the diet plan. Parents should know that if the seizures return, the child may return to the diet plan.
How does the diet work?
According to the experts, high fat intake combined with a proper restriction of calories and carbohydrates lead to ketosis. The researchers are still finding out how exactly the ketone bodies suppress seizures. However, it is important not to forget that as soon as a person starts consuming carbohydrates again, the seizures may return.
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