How To Control Your Children’s Seizures With Diet
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The seizure control - ketogenic - diet can be used for babies only months old, although it is usually reserved for children over one and adolescents.
Four fifths of the diet by weight is made up of fat and this also contibutes 90% of the calories. A typical child’s breakfast could be an omelette made with mushrooms and bacon. A hot chocolate drink made from 36% cream. Luncheon may include stalks of celery with cream cheese or peanut butter, lettuce and mayonnaise and a tomato slice. Drink might be a diet soda that’s caffeine free. Evening meal could be a hot dog with ketchup or with mustard, lettuce and mayonnaise, a sundae of whipped cream and a strawberry, and a diet soda.
This diet is not complete from a nutritional standpoint and the child will have to take multivitamins and minerals and calcium. The diet has to be very strictly adhered to otherwise it won’t control seizures.
Starting The Diet
The child must spend 4 days in hospital and be fasted for a few days before the meals are gradually introducted.
During this period the dietician teaches the diet to the family and provides them with a number of meal plans specifically calculated for the child.
The Diet Is Challenging
Most children will find that their favourite foods are not to be eaten on this diet. There is no fries, pastas, pizzas, cakes, biscuits, sweets and ice cream. This will make them ‘different’ from their family and friends.
Foods must be weighed and drinks measured. Nothing must be left on the plate or in the glass, otherwise the careful calculations that have been made will be thrown into disarray. Eating away from home must be very carefully planned.
Isn’t The Diet Dangerous?
A typical meal of chicken, carrots, double cream and butter might not seem healthy, but look again at what children are not allowed to eat. Children grow normally. Weight remains stable so long as calories are controlled. Supplements provide for nutritional shortfalls.
The Diet Can Be A Cure
The diet will help most of the children who are put on it. For them, seizures are greatly reduced or eliminated completely. They can reduce or may be able to discard their medication. After several years children can be gradually weaned off the ketogenic diet and return to eating a normal diet. For those children who become free of seizures and are no longer on medication, it means they are essentially cured.
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