Epilepsy diet is shown to be effective in recent study

The high-fat Ketogenic Diet has been found to be a valuable treatment for the control of seizures. Even though it has been used effectively for many patients since the 1920’s, most doctors have ignored it, opting for drug use instead. The drugs have mixed results and often have severe side effects.

The study, which was conducted in London, appears in the June issue of Lancet Neurology. One group of children had seizures reduced by half, and in five children seizures were reduced by more than 90 percent.

The Ketogenic Diet uses very high amounts of fat and must be precisely controlled to achieve benefits; parents receive training from the various centers around the world that use the diet.

While the Feingold Association applauds the parents and doctors who opt to follow this regimen, we believe that an initial trial of the much simpler Feingold Diet would be wise since we have had positive results addressing seizures. The Ketogenic Diet includes sythetic additives that are removed on the Feingold Program.

Reprinted from Pure Facts, the newsletter if the Feingold Association of the United States, Feingold

The Ketogenic Diet is not to be undertaken lightly, it is a strict eating program low in carbohydrates and high in good fats.  It can be stressful on the kidneys so should always be followed under a physician’s care. The amazing sucess rate (2 out of 3 children who try it, reduce or eliminte seizure activity) makes it worth while trying.  Many parents try it in conjunction with other therapies.  Often parents find a combination of therapies and diet work the best to control any seizure activity.

What to do during a seizure:

1. Stay calm and stay with your child.
2. Try to take note of what time the seizure starts and stops, and pay attention to which body parts are affected.
3. Try to lay the child on the floor making sure their head is stable, lay them over on their side in the recovery position, a soft pillow or object may be placed under their head to prevent injury.
4. Keep the child on their side, in case they vomit they should not be on their back to prevent choking.
5. Loosen tight clothing
6. Gently slide your child away from tables, chairs or other sharp, heavy objects that may cause injury.
7. Do not try to force anything between the teeth, or open the mouth. If there is mucous or food gently try to remove it.
8. Do not try to stop the movement.
9. Do not try to shake a child out of a seizure.

There may be subtle signs that your child is about to have a seizure, some children get a feeling before the seizure: Muscle twitching, irritability, headache, stomach upset or vision changes are all common things to watch for.

Call 911 if your child turns bluish or has trouble breathing, call your doctor or emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, the child is not awake after 30 minutes, there is a change in frequency or type of seizure activity, the child has a fever with no obvious reason as to why.  Always call 911 if there is a medical emergency you do not feel you can deal with. 

Make an adjustment. Stay Healthy ~ Be Happy: Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at Fontana Chiropractic, Evergreen CO. 303.674.1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com

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