Medical Team Required to Effectively Implement the Ketogenic Diet

As indicated in the previous article on side effects, the Ketogenic diet must be initiated in a hospital environment to monitor and effectively manage any adverse effects.

The Ketogenic Diet is Medical Nutrition Therapy and requires a well-trained team to effectively implement. A Registered Paediatric Dietitian who coordinates the diet programme, a Paediatric Neurologist who is experienced in administering the ketogenic diet, a Registered Nurse, a Pharmacist who can advise on the carbohydrate content of medicines to inform the Dietitian when planning the diet ratio and a Medical Social Worker who works with the family and does follow-up on implementation. The patient and other caregivers must be educated in many aspects of the diet for it to be safely implemented.  

The Dietitian should ideally work with the family to create a meal plan for home implementation that takes into consideration all factors that may hinder full implementation, including the socioeconomic status, religious and cultural.