FDA says, no. And everyone else too.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society says hyperbaric therapy is recognized to treat 14 conditions, such as wounds and "the bends" — decompression sickness sometimes suffered by scuba divers — by raising the oxygen level in the blood and revitalizing dying tissue. Autism is an "off-label" use not yet supported by evidence, executive director Peter Bennett said.
"Virtually all of the literature supporting the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in autism comes from one investigator and is published in obscure journals,’’ said Steven Lomazow of Belleville, president of the Neurological Association of New Jersey. "The research was funded by the manufacturers of the equipment. Even these papers cite a low number of patients and a need for further investigation," Lomazow said.
Pediatric neurologist Mark Mintz of Cherry Hill said there is no evidence the brains of children with autism have ever been deprived of oxygen. "Nobody credible seems to see a need to do a study (on hyperbaric treatment)," he said.
@ Association for Science in Autism Treatment, ASAT
@ Using behavior analysis to examine the outcomes of unproven therapies: An evaluation of HBOT for children with autism
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