Introduction: Refractory epilepsies (RE) are a common neurological condition expressed in childhood and adulthood, highlighting the current use of cannabis as an alternative treatment. Oral Cannabis Preparations (OCP) have demonstrated effectiveness in the adult population; however, knowledge is limited in the infant-young population.
Aim: To synthesize the available evidence on the efficacy and safety of OCP for the treatment of refractory epilepsies in the infant-young population.
Methods: The present study followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines and included studies from January 2013 until December 2020 from electronic databases, including SciELO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Web of Science.
Results: 7 articles were included in this scoping review for critical analysis. The results indicate that pharmaceutical and artisanal origin OCP has 41.3% effectiveness in reducing seizures and low safety after administration (≤ 27.4%). Likewise, after administration, the most frequent adverse symptoms were somnolence/fatigue, weight loss/decreased appetite, and irritability/aggressiveness.
Conclusion: The low levels of effectiveness and safety of OCP suggest that they should be administered with caution and as a complementary treatment and not as the first choice for managing RE in the infant-young population.
