Refractory Pediatric Epilepsy and Ketogenic Diet
Changappa Raksha
Top Ranked Medical Dietetics Clinician? Pioneer MNT Challenging Diseases? Health Industry Advisory? Health Communication
A ketogenic diet is designed to create and maintain a state of ketosis; a metabolic state characterized by high levels of ketone bodies in the blood. In Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) its used to treat refractory pediatric epilepsy, or epilepsy in children which doesn't respond to anti-epileptic drugs.
Two of the better known ketogenic diets for pediatric epilepsy, are the Traditional Ketogenic Diet, and the MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) diet. Both the diets although initially demanding in patient compliance, completely control epilepsy in 1/3 of children whose seizures are otherwise uncontrolled. In another 1/3 of children they markedly reduces the frequency of seizures and allow anti-epileptic drug dosages to be reduced. The anti-convulsant effect of the ketogenic diet is attributed to the increased ketone bodies (namely acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and their spontaneous breakdown product, acetone) in the blood acting as an inhibitory neurotransmittor.
The uploaded video by the CBN.com explores the real life case study of Max Irvine, a 4 year old boy and a patient of pediatric epilepsy who displayed complete cure on migration to a ketogenic diet.
This video is part of Dietitian Raksha Changappa's video playlist on "Pediatric Epilepsy & Diet", viewable at https://bit.ly/1LO5mCL Video (c) CBN.com Reuploaded video.
About the author: Raksha Changappa, BSc Honors (Clinical Dietetics), MBA (Marketing), MSc (Nutrition), is an award winning Dietitian & Nutritionist specialising in rare and challenging disorders. A triple Gold Medalist in nutrition and recipient of prestigious awards including the Padma Bhushan Dr. MC Modi award, Raksha was featured as a Bangalore "Local Hero" by The Times of India (2008), placed #1 in the StyleCraze.com "Top 10 Nutritionists of India" list (2016), and listed as a "Personality of Karnataka State" by Karnataka.Com (2015). An army daughter and a knowledge seeker, she manages her decade old Bangalore based private practice, and is on board the panels of Doctor NDTV & Dr Raxa.