HBOT & Autism

Ben was a five year old boy whose mother had diabetes in her last trimester of pregnancy that was not appreciated by her obstetrician until the time of delivery which was 2 weeks after her due date in 1990. After a prolonged 30 hours of induced labor Ben was born with a grossly misshapen head at 12 lbs. 10 oz. He had meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, a sign of fetal distress, and low APGARS (the grading system used to characterize a newborn baby’s viability). He required resuscitation that resulted in intubation in the nursery.

Once home he was clearly abnormal, showed developmental delays, and was eventually evaluated by a neurologist for high muscle tone on the right side of his body, repetitive autistic behaviors, including emotional detachment from his mother and siblings, a learning disability, speech problems, frequent staring spells, and cognitive problems. He showed no socialization (he didn’t relate to those around him). EEGs were abnormal, but an MRI of the brain only showed a small (1/4 inch) clump of abnormal blood vessels that had nothing to do with Ben’s problems. His Childhood Autism Rating Scale score was 29 (clearly on the autism spectrum, but 1 point shy of the threshold used for the diagnosis of overt autism in 1993).

Ben underwent a single SPECT brain blood flow scan which showed abnormalities in both temporal lobes and frontal lobes which improved after a single HBOT (see scans). He continued treatment for 35 treatments, took a break, and returned to New Orleans for an additional 28 HBOTs that was truncated by a family emergency, requiring his return home. During and after the HBOT Ben experienced an improvement in his cognition (see sequential drawings below at 35 and 63 treatments), school performance, interaction with his brother, emotional attachment to his mother for the first time in his life, improved motor function on the right side of his body, gait, coordination, and communication. Six months later his EEG had worsened, yet he spontaneously said to his mother, “it is so much better not living in the dark anymore.”