BALTIMORE, Sep 10, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists say they have
determined a ketogenic -- or high fat, low carbohydrate -- diet is effective in
treating infantile epileptic spasms.
Infantile spasms are a potentially devastating epileptic condition affecting
children aged 4-8 months.
Johns Hopkins University researchers said their finding is the first description
of the ketogenic diet as a first-line defense for infantile spasms in place of
drugs. The diet is more traditionally used for intractable childhood epilepsy,
scientists said.
ACTH and vigabatrin, medications commonly used as first treatments, can have
potentially serious side effects, the scientists said. In addition, although
ACTH is effective in up to 70 percent of cases, it costs more than $80,000 for a
one-month supply and vigabatrin isn't yet available in the United States.
"We decided to review our experience at Johns Hopkins using the ketogenic diet
to treat infantile spasms before medications were tried and compare this to our
use of ACTH over the same time period," said Dr. Eric Kossoff, the study's lead
author.
He said the ketogenic diet is now one of the first-line therapies for new-onset
infantile spasms at Johns Hopkins, with other hospitals beginning to follow
suit.
The study appears in the journal Epilepsia.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International