Hyperbaric Treatment for Autistic Children Proves Beneficial

According to the Autism Society of America, autism is “a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.” Each person with the “spectrum disorder” is affected differently and to varying degrees, and although autism is treatable, there is no known single cause for autism. Treatment for autism depends on the individual and sometimes includes occupational therapy, which focuses on basic skills and function, and physical therapy, which works to improve control of body movements. However, a recent study has found that hyperbaric treatment is helpful for children with autism and can lead to improvements in the condition. Hyperbaric treatment involves placing the patient into a pressurized chamber where they inhale up to 100 percent oxygen at more than 1 atmosphere (atm) of pressure. This treatment is used in an attempt to boost the amount of oxygen in the child's brain by increasing the amount of pressure. The study included 62 children between 2 and 7 years of age and was the first randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter trial to look at this treatment on autistic children.

Dan Rossignol, along with colleagues, conducted the study by randomly assigning the 62 participants to either 40 hours of hyperbaric treatment using 24 percent oxygen at 1.3 atmospheres of pressure (treatment group) or somewhat pressurized air with 21 percent oxygen at 1.03 atmospheres of pressure. Three scales, including the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) were used to measure the results. Rossignol and his team found that compared to those in the non-treatment group, those children who received treatment saw substantial improvements in overall function, social interaction, eye contact, receptive language and sensory and cognitive awareness. With these promising results, additional use of hyperbaric treatment is more than likely in future studies and testing of autism treatment. If you believe your child’s autism was caused by a doctor’s negligence, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. Our Manhattan birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case at no charge to you. Call or submit and instant inquiry today for your FREE consultation.

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