Autism Alert: HBOT Starts Gaining Credibility

Just days after Jane Brody's sobering piece in the New York Times, BMC Pediatrics publishes a promising study on HBOT treatment for children with autism. The authors conclude:

Children with autism who received hyperbaric treatment at 1.3 atm and 24% oxygen for 40 hourly sessions had significant improvements in overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye contact, and sensory/cognitive awareness compared to children who received slightly pressurized room air.

Online commentators at ScientificAmerican and elsewhere call the study well done but point to the need for further investigation.

Jane Brody Prescribes A Healthy Dose Of HBOT Skepticism

The ever trustworthy Jane Brody (we're big fans) strikes the usual fine balance in her Personal Health column on hyperbaric oxygen therapy. She wisely calls on UHMS and the BRF for expert guidance. She also references an article we'd really like to get our hands on, from the November 2008 issue of Emergency Medicine, in which authors Maples and Mendelson "explain the various uses of a 300-year-old treatment that is only now reaching its full potential." Brody cites the proper evidence and acknowledges the approved indications. Then she slams HBOT as one of many "unproven remedies" for cerebral palsy, autism, and more:

...multiple sclerosis, stroke, macular degeneration, spinal cord injury, sports injuries, heart attack, postpolio syndrome, Lyme disease, migraine, cirrhosis, myasthenia gravis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome—among the dozens of conditions that independent clinics claim to treat with hyperbaric oxygen. Not to mention the claims of celebrities like Michael Jackson, who used it in the hope that it will keep him alive to 150, and Keanu Reeves, who used it for insomnia.

Phew.

Living Longer: HBOT Gets The Full Oprah Treatment

Dr. Mehmet Oz counts hyperbaric oxygen therapy among his "High-Tech Ways To Extend Your Life." On the show he tries HBOT himself and gives Oprah a quick primer in the studio.

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