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Application of a Ketogenic Diet in Children With Autistic Behavior: Pilot Study

Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece, evangeli{at}med.uoc.gr

Ioannis Vlachonikolis, MD

Biostatistic Laboratory, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Helen Mihailidou, MD

Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece

Martha Spilioti, MD

Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece

Astrinia Skarpalezou, MD

Institute of Child Health, Children's Hospital Agia Sofia, Athens, Greece

Nikolaos Makaronas, MD

Center of Mental Health, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Ahilleas Prokopiou, MD

Center of Mental Health, Chania, Crete, Greece

Panagiotis Christodoulou

Georgia Liapi-Adamidou, MD

Second Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Emmanouel Helidonis, MD

Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece

Stylianos Sbyrakis, MD

Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece

Jan Smeitink, MD

Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

A pilot prospective follow-up study of the role of the ketogenic diet was carried out on 30 children, aged between 4 and 10 years, with autistic behavior. The diet was applied for 6 months, with continuous administration for 4 weeks, interrupted by 2-week diet-free intervals. Seven patients could not tolerate the diet, whereas five other patients adhered to the diet for 1 to 2 months and then discontinued it. Of the remaining group who adhered to the diet, 18 of 30 children (60%), improvement was recorded in several parameters and in accordance with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Significant improvement (> 12 units of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale) was recorded in two patients (pre-Scale: 35.00 ± 1.41 [mean ± SD]), average improvement (> 8—12 units) in eight patients (pre-Scale: 41.88 ± 3.14[mean ± SD]), and minor improvement (2—8 units) in eight patients (pre-Scale: 45.25 ± 2.76 [mean ± SD]). Although these data are very preliminary, there is some evidence that the ketogenic diet may be used in autistic behavior as an additional or alternative therapy. ( J Child Neurol 2003; 18: 113—118).

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