Developmental Spectrums is pleased to offer the popular Vitaeris soft-sided or “mild” hyperbaric chambers for home rental to our patients, by prescription only. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment is emerging as the most exciting new medical treatment for autism spectrum disorders in the past several years.
Please see our website for further information on the latest published research findings as well as some of the testimonials from thousands of patients who have safely and effectively used this technology to improve the health of their child.
Although use of HBOT for treating autism is still considered an “off-label” use, HBOT does many positive things at the same time that address many of the issues that affect people on the autism spectrum:
- Improves antioxidant status through upregulation of antioxidant enzymes
- Decreases inflammation
- Helps heal “leaky gut” and improves dysbiosis
- Strengthens the immune system
- Enhances the body’s natural detoxification mechanisms
- Improves oxygenation and blood flow to the brain
“Soft” vs. “Hard” HBOT
Many children do very well with mild, or soft-sided HBOT alone. There are some situations where the increased pressure and oxygen levels of the hard-sided chambers may be more effective, but those chambers can only be used in a clinic setting, are more expensive, and are not available to everyone. More research is needed to be able to assess the relative effectiveness of more than one session a day of mild HBOT (which is most practical with home use), vs. one session a day of higher pressure HBOT. Home use of the soft chambers can also be combined with occasional use of the hard chamber, to increase effectiveness for those who need it. Many families use the soft chambers after a course of higher pressure treatment, or for those children who do best with maintenance treatment. A course of mild HBOT can also be a good starting point to assess a child’s response to this therapy before deciding if they should move up to higher pressures and oxygen concentrations.
Safety
Mild HBOT is a very safe procedure that is FDA approved for home use under a doctor’s prescription. It has an excellent safety record. As with any medical procedure, there are contraindications, meaning conditions under which it should not be used, and potential side-effects. The main situation in which you should not use home HBOT is if the child’s ears are plugged. It is essential to be able to equalize the pressure in the ears during pressurization and depressurization of the chamber, or else this process will cause ear pain. Therefore it is important to make sure that the child is free of ear infections or sinus congestion prior to using the chamber. We will review with you the complete list of contraindications and possible side-effects at the time of equipment rental; the list is also available on this website.
Convenience and Accessibility
Home use of the soft-sided chambers offers the advantage of accessibility to those who live far away. In the past, patients often had to travel long distances, often at great inconvenience, to be able to find a hyperbaric center that could treat their child. Even if a center is close by, we all know how hectic the schedules are for families with children on the spectrum. Sometimes it is impossible to make time for one more treatment, when you already have to do OT, ABA, Speech, APE, AIT, biomedical treatment, and more. With home rental you can get the benefit of HBOT without having to travel.
Efficiency and Affordability
Another advantage of home HBOT is that you can do more than one hour of treatment in a day. In a center, usually only one hour can be scheduled at a time. There is some new evidence that for mild HBOT, there may be even more benefit to the therapy if it is done for 2-3 hours per day. When a family does that, they get two - three times the number of sessions per treatment period than they would get if they came to a center. This makes the cost per treatment very affordable. Some families will even do ABA or homework in the chamber. Some of that time can even be done when the child is asleep. This ability to multi-task at home makes it a very efficient use of your treatment time. Also, for families that have more than one child who needs treatment, home rental is very cost-effective.
HBOT Chamber Purchase
Through home rental, mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be done in your home at your convenience for as long as it is needed, without having to make the larger investment of purchasing the chamber. Of course, when many families find out how beneficial home HBOT really is for their child, they end up wanting to buy the chamber after all. Developmental Spectrums has arranged with the manufacturer of the chambers to be able to sell new chambers to our patients at a discount. If you are interested in purchasing a new chamber, please contact us for information.
HBOT Rental Policies
Families interested in renting a chamber should first call to reserve a spot as soon as possible. If the child has been seen recently by Dr. Mielke and HBOT has been recommended, then medical clearance and an approved prescription for HBOT may be able to be done over the phone. If the child has not been seen recently, it may require a brief appointment.
All families who rent HBOT chambers need to leave a deposit (equivalent to one-week’s rental) one week prior to their rental appointment to reserve their place. If they cancel or reschedule their appointment after leaving that deposit, only half of it will be returned. If they rent as planned, the deposit will be applied to their rental fee.
Rental terms are in 4-week (or 28 day) blocks. Patients may rent for more than 4 weeks, and there is a 10% discount for consecutive 4-week rental blocks after the initial term. Patients who rent a chamber will have an appointment to come and pick up their chamber at the office, where they will be trained by our staff on the proper use of the equipment, review our information forms, sign their rental contract, pay the remainder of their rental fee, leave a refundable damage deposit, learn how to pack-up the chamber properly, and then take it home. This process may take 1-2 hours.
Rental families will be required to fill out a symptom tracking form weekly, to help document their child’s progress. Our hyperbaric technicians will be in contact by phone several times during the rental term to monitor the process and help answer any questions you may have, and of course you may call at any time.
It is important to be prompt for the pick-up and drop-off appointments. When your term is up, you will pack up the chamber, and bring it back to us at the scheduled time. If the equipment is in good shape, the damage deposit will be refunded. Families are liable for any damage to the chamber. There is a small fee for the routine training, cleaning, and maintenance of the equipment that is necessary each time the units are rented.
Summary
Overall, we hope that you will be very favorably impressed with the effects of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy for your child. We have found that this intervention is beneficial to the majority of patients who try it. While the results do vary as with any other treatment, most families feel that it was definitely worthwhile, and many are so impressed, they opt to continue the treatment indefinitely through purchasing their own chamber. Please call our office for exact prices and to answer any additional questions you may have about HBOT rental.
