Background: Researches on the dietary adequacy of children with epilepsy in comparison to healthy counterparts are limited. This study aimed to assess the food consumption and nutrient intake patterns of children with epilepsy in comparison to healthy children.
Methods: In a case-control study, 55 epileptic children and 55 healthy controls were involved; while matched according to age and sex. Dietary intake was evaluated using 3-day (including 1 weekend day) food records. An independent t-test or its non-parametric counterpart was used to determine if there was a mean difference in dietary intake between cases and controls.
Results: The mean age of participants was 8.12±3.1 years. Compared to control group, epileptic children consumed more vegetables (p=0.001) and meat (p=0.036) and lower fats (p=0.03). In epileptic children, a significant higher intake of protein (37.56±7.8 g/d) was found when compared to healthy controls (34.05±7.4 g/d, p=0.02). The children with
epilepsy consumed significantly more caffeine (p=0.001), riboflavin (p=0.024), and iron (p=0.002) and less vitamin A (p=0.01) and niacin (p=0.009) in their diet when compared with controls.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that certain food groups and nutrients require attention for children with epilepsy, highlighting the need for more comprehensive dietary guidance for children that can be presented by epilepsy specialists.