Key points about cerebral palsy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing oxygen at high pressure.
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established treatment for some serious conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness (the ‘bends’)
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy for tamariki with cerebral palsy is unproven and not recommended
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) means breathing oxygen at high pressure.
What is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a permanent physical condition that affects movement and posture. It can affect many types of movement and can also cause a range of other problems.
Cerebral Palsy-Hōkai Nukurangi In Children
Support For Children With Cerebral Palsy-Hōkai Nukurangi
Could hyperbaric oxygen therapy help my child with cerebral palsy?
A small number of studies have looked at hyperbaric oxygen therapy in tamariki with cerebral palsy. International experts agree that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not helpful for tamariki with cerebral palsy and there are risks.
International consensus is that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not helpful for tamariki with cerebral palsy.
Risks of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, your child will be inside a sealed chamber. It will take time to get in and out of the chamber. This means there can be a delay getting emergency help if your child needs it.
Ear problems
Changes in pressure can cause ear pain or damage to the eardrum.
Ear problems are common. In one study, more than half of tamariki needed an operation to insert grommets.
Vomiting
If a child vomits in the chamber, there is a higher risk of choking. The high pressure can force vomit back into the airway.
Epileptic seizures
Some tamariki have seizures during treatment. It will take time to get emergency help to them.
How can I decide about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for my child?
If you are thinking about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for your child, it is important to think carefully about the risks.
You may find it helpful to ask the following questions:
- Does my child have seizures or epilepsy?
- Does my child have difficulty swallowing?
- Has my child had ear problems?
- If my child needs grommets before treatment, do I understand the risks of a general anaesthetic?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, think even more carefully about the risks of this treatment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cerebral palsy is unproven.
Other things to consider
If you’re thinking about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, it’s important to look at the wider impact.
You may find it helpful to ask:
- How will the treatment be given?
- What qualifications do the people providing the treatment have?
- What follow-up care and treatment evaluation will be offered?
- How will my child cope with this?
Think about the full cost of treatment. This includes:
- the financial cost
- travel and time away from home
References
- Justine Laureau, Christelle Pons, Guy Letellier, Raphaël Gross. Hyperbaric oxygen in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review of effectiveness and safety. PLOS ONE(Oct 2022). https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276126
- Novak, I., Morgan, C., Fahey, M. et al. State of the evidence traffic lights 2019: Systematic review of interventions for preventing and treating children with cerebral palsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep (2020) 20: 3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11910-020-1022-z
- Novak, I., Honan, I. Effectiveness of paediatric occupational therapy for children with disabilities: A systematic review. Australian occupational therapy journal (2019) 66, 258–273. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1440-1630.12573
- McDonagh MS, Morgan D, Carson S et al. Systematic review of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for cerebral palsy: The state of the evidence. Developmental medicine and child neurology. (Dec 2007) 49 (12): 942-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18039243/
