Efficacy of ketogenic diet in severe refractory status epilepticus initiating fever induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school age children (FIRES).” Nabbout et al reported that ketogenic diet can be a very effective treatment for status epilepticus. All 7 children with this severe form of epilepsy responded very rapidly to the ketogenic diet, usually within a week.
Does Ketogenic diet help control of absence epilepsy? Groomes et reported that 133 children with absence epilepsy were found in the literature who were treated with the diet. 69% did well. Similarly, at Johns Hopkins, 18 (82%) of 21 treated with either the ketogenic or modified Atkins diet had a reduction in their absence “petit mal” seizures.