Could a High-Fat diet replace drugs for kids with absence seizures?
NCT ID NCT04274179
First seen May 07, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a modified Atkins diet (low carb, high fat) can control seizures in children aged 3-12 with newly diagnosed absence epilepsy, without using standard medications. Forty children will be enrolled and compared to a group whose parents chose medication instead. The goal is to see if the diet is a feasible and effective first-line treatment.
Disclaimer
Read more
Show less
This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for EPILEPSY, ABSENCE are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Study contacts
-
Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
Johns Hopkins Hospital
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
Contact
Contact
Contact
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Contact
Contact
Contact
Contact
Contact
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Modified Atkins diet (low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein)
What this could lead to
If successful, this diet could offer a drug-free option to control seizures in children newly diagnosed with absence epilepsy.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 40 participants, and the diet is restrictive, which may be hard for children to follow long-term. It may not work as well as standard medications.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.