EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN

Abstract

It has been definitely established by the work of Wilder,¹ Peterman,² Talbot, Metcalf and Moriarty³ and others that children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy are greatly benefited by a diet high in fat and sufficiently low in carbohydrate and protein to produce ketosis. The effects of the ketogenic diet are similar to those of fasting, as regards changes in the patient's blood⁴ and in his clinical condition. Just how such forms of dietary regulation effect the striking improvement often seen in cases of genuine epilepsy is not entirely clear. Wilder attributes the change to the anesthetic action of the acetone bodies, particularly the aceto-acetic acid. Other observers suggest that it is due to the mild acidosis produced. The latter opinion is based on the observations of Jarloev⁵ and Bigwood⁶ that the convulsive seizures are frequently preceded by a slight shifting of the blood plasma reaction