Resumo

VASQUEZ-BUILES, Santiago; JARAMILLO-ECHEVERRI, Paulina; MONTOYA-QUINCHIA, Laura  e  APRAEZ-HENAO, Laura. Ketogenic diet as a treatment for refractory epilepsy during infancy: A practical literature review. Rev. mex. neurocienc. [online]. 2019, vol.20, n.1, pp.14-20.  Epub 04-Abr-2022. ISSN 2604-6180.  https://doi.org/10.24875/rmn.m19000022.

Epilepsy is a severe neurological illness disease of chronic evolution that affects both children and adults. Since the 1920s, the cetogenic diet has been considered as a therapeutic option in patients with refractory epilepsy and is currently considered as the first line of treatment for some metabolic disorders. The cetogenic diet can be effective in generalized seizures but also in focal seizures. Its antiepileptic actions are based on the fact that the ketone body that are sintetized in the liver from long and medium chain fatty acid work as direct anticonvulsant as they cross the hood-brain barrier. This paper presents a detailed and practical description of the state of the current medical literature of the indications, contraindications, clinical, physiological and therapeutical aspects of the cetogenic diet in order to provide to the medical community the required habilities to take proper care of prospect children for a cetogenic diet or children who are already under it as treatment for their refractory epilepsy.

Palavras-chave : Ketogenic diet; Refractary epilepsy; Childhood; Epilepsy in pediatrics.