Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy Clinic

The ketogenic diet for epilepsy offers children fresh hope when medication alone isn’t enough to control seizure symptoms. At the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy Clinic, also called the Dietary Therapies Clinic for Neurological Disorders, we help families decide whether this dietary therapy is right for their child.

Here, you can meet with neurology and nutrition professionals, in one visit. We offer a wealth of insight and support to families making big changes to their eating routines.

What Is the Ketogenic Epilepsy Diet?

The ketogenic diet is an epilepsy treatment that uses food as medicine to control seizure symptoms. For some children with hard-to-control epilepsy, changing how they eat can offer meaningful or entire relief from seizure symptoms.

The ketogenic diet follows strict nutrition ratios that include high amounts of fat, adequate amounts of protein, and low amounts of carbohydrate. We recommend a specific ratio for every child, based on their needs and epilepsy symptoms. Learn the basics in our helpful FAQs about ketogenic diet and epilepsy.

Expert Care for Children Following Epilepsy Dietary Therapies

Some children experience significant or complete relief from seizures after following dietary therapies, such as the ketogenic diet. This clinic provides specialized care for families who consider or follow dietary therapies to treat a child’s seizures.

At this clinic, you can expect:

Thorough education: If you want to learn more about how the ketogenic diet heals epilepsy, you can attend one of our regular informational sessions. At this 3-hour class, medical professionals with different backgrounds explain the basics of the ketogenic diet. We answer common questions, such as:
- Potential side effects, such as constipation or diarrhea
- How we customize meal plans for each child
- How families manage this diet at home
Coordinated care: At your first clinic visit, you will meet with multiple members of our care team, including a neurologist, a specialized nurse and a dietitian. We evaluate and discuss multiple factors, such as your child’s health and your family’s lifestyle, with you. Together, we decide whether a dietary therapy is the right next step for your child. Learn about other dietary therapies in epilepsy treatment options.
Careful monitoring: Children who move forward with the ketogenic dietary therapy will spend 3 to 5 days in the hospital as they start the diet. We schedule this hospital stay around your needs, whenever possible. At the hospital, we:
- Closely monitor your child’s health through this significant dietary change
- Give you clear instructions to safely follow the diet at home
- Send you home with a gram scale to weigh your child’s food from now on
Support and guidance: Following the ketogenic diet for epilepsy requires a significant lifestyle change. We are here to support you. You’ll come to the clinic for regular follow-up visits, so we can monitor how the diet affects your child’s seizures. You’ll have close communication with our knowledgeable dietitian, who will support and guide you through any challenges.