Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Autism

Autism is a neuro-developmental condition which affects how a child perceives regular stimulations or occurrences, which ideally do not necessarily create any unrest in neurotypical individuals. Therapeutic Options for autism consists of various exercises & procedures such as occupational therapy, behavioural therapy, speech therapy, and even stem cell therapy.

Recent research has discovered that one of the possible causes of autism is a decreased flow of fresh or oxygenated blood to the brain. This causes an acute inflammation in the brain and also increases the level of oxidative stress. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for autism is one of the most effective ways to regain the normal oxygen supply to the brain.

Research in positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have revealed hypo-perfusion decrease the blood flow through several areas of the brain, particularly the temporal regions, and areas related to language and auditory processing. The diminished blood flow results in symptoms correlated to autism including repetitive behaviour, aggression, stereotypical behaviours, inability to communication, social interaction, etc.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism is a treatment that has become quite popular amongst the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community. It compensates for the reduced oxygenated blood supply by increasing the oxygen in the plasma and body tissues of patients with autism. 

One time brain mapping can help detect early damage to areas of the individual’s brain, especially in the cerebellum. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism can regularize the oxygen levels in the ischemic tissue of the brain suppressing the inflammatory effects and reducing oxidative stress. Besides autism, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can also aid recovery in neuro-degenerative diseases like cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, etc.

A significant increase in the ratio of cerebral blood flow to the different regions of the brain after HBOT has been observed to improve several autism symptoms.

Conclusion

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism has become a very popular mode of treatment in the autism spectrum disorder community. It benefits in improving a range of autistic traits such as improved language, socialization and pleasant behaviour.

Introducing: A New Food Diet For Selective Eaters

Parents and caregivers are concerned about unhealthy eating habits in a child with autism. Qualified dieticians can help in planning a perfect autism diet plan with nutritive analysis and advice on healthy eating habits. 

Dieticians or health experts are trained in maintaining a healthy eating behaviour in a child with autism. They provide various strategies to introduce healthy food and improve the nutritional balance in the child and work with the parents to understand their objectives before creating a diet plan for autism in achieving favourable results.

When to plan?

Children with autism are more likely to have stomach problems. This picky or choosy eating habits along with other dietary restrictions are associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) trouble in them. Before charting anautism diet plan, the dieticians try to figure out the reason behind the child’s unwavering insistence on special coloured food, why they prefer a particular type of food and a greater number of other feeding issues. Such issues are at times related to the ritualistic or repetitive behaviours and as well as sensory processing issues (smell, texture). Thus, a child with autism and sensory disorder reject foods based on their smell, colour and texture.

For example, he/she may only want to eat:

·         White or yellow foods (rice, bread, mashed potatoes, chicken)

·         Foods with a crunchy or a smooth texture (biscuits)

·         Foods with a salty or bitter taste (chips, pickle)

·         Foods with a sweet flavour (chocolate, sweet)

Why is white food unhealthy?

Some children with ASD avoid certain foods because of exacerbated gastrointestinal (GI) problems associated with reflux and severe abdominal pain. They may cry or hit their head during meals. The doctor advice a gastrointestinal screening before planning a diet plan for autism symptoms. 

A white food diet contains white flour, which does not contain the nutrient husks, lack in fibres and the essential vitamins. The white processed food stuffs contain added sugar too. When consumed, these nutrient deficiencies in white foods can impact the gut and disturb the nutritional balance. A diet plan for a child with autism does not include ‘treat’ like bread, crackers, biscuits, cakes and pasta.

Role of dieticians

Dieticians develop strategies and tools to introduce an improved diet to maintain the child’s nutritional balance. They prescribe a gluten-free/casein-free diet (GFCF) diet. This strict diet eliminates foods containing gluten (wheat, barley and rye) and casein (milk and milk products) from the child's daily intake.

They work with the child’s family to understand their worries and goals and to create a perfect diet plan for autism. They plan to achieve the desired outcomes by exploring the eating habits and the preferred food of the child with autism.

Their diet also consists of strategies that can assist in creating a learning opportunity and to build a positive relationship between the child and his/her food.