The Ketogenic Diet Program at The Children's Hospital offers comprehensive services to children and their families using this diet as a treatment option for the management of uncontrolled epilepsy. The ketogenic diet is a very strict diet that is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrate. It attempts to mimic the fasting state based on the observation that fasting reduces seizure activity. The Center's experienced multidisciplinary team includes a neurologist, a nurse practitioner and a clinical dietitian. Thanks to a private grant, we are able to provide basic and clinical research investigating the ketogenic diet.
Treatment is provided in close cooperation with the patient's primary care physician.
For diet initiation, a four to five day hospital stay is required. To support the success of the diet frequent outpatient visits are required.