Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used to augment healing for more than 50 years. Did you know that adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from this treatment?
R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics offer pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children of all ages. If your child has experienced an injury that isn’t healing sufficiently on its own, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can safely accelerate and enhance your child’s healing process.
WHAT IS HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT)?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) offers a safe, natural, and efficient medical therapy for non-healing wounds and other conditions that resist standard treatments. Using nothing but 100% oxygen at pressures above regular atmospheric pressure, HBOT nourishes wounds with pure oxygen.
WHAT CONDITIONS CAN HBOT TREAT IN CHILDREN?
Most children aren’t at risk of the conditions that cause adults to seek HBOT, such as diabetic ulcers and deep infections. Instead, pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy is mainly used to address hypospadias repair, compromised skin grafts, non-diabetic wounds, radiation injury from cancer treatments, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY FOR CHILDREN?
Pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-invasive procedure that offers the same benefits to children as adults. HBOT infuses a child’s entire body with pure, pressurized oxygen and blood carries oxygen to nourish tissues, cells, muscles, and organs.
The oxygen works with antibiotics to kill bacteria, stimulates the release of stem cells, and supports the formation of new blood vessels, therefore accelerating healing. A child receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy benefits from rapid healing beyond the body’s natural capabilities.
HOW DOES R3 WOUND CARE HELP CHILDREN FEEL COMFORTABLE DURING HBOT?
Our compassionate team at R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics is committed to helping all children feel comfortable and relaxed throughout the HBOT process. We take the following steps to cultivate a safe and positive atmosphere from start to finish:
- Children can wear their own approved pajamas
- Children can watch cartoons or movies of their choice during every HBOT session
- Children receive colored bandages and snacks
- Children help take their own vitals signs to feel involved in the process
Parents can sit next to their child, right outside the chamber, for reassurance. Our hyperbaric chambers are also equipped with phones allowing parents and children to talk to each other throughout the treatment.
Most children view hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions as a fun break to relax and watch TV. They may not even realize medical therapy is taking place at all!
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS EXPECT DURING THE HBOT PROCESS?
Our pediatric oxygen therapy process is very simple. When you visit an R3 location, a provider will take your child’s information, perform a quick physical with vitals, and give you a tour of the hyperbaric facility. Once you and your child feel ready to begin, your child will lay down in the clear acrylic chamber to receive HBOT while you sit next to the chamber.
Most HBOT sessions last 90 minutes. Your child will look and feel completely normal – or better than normal! – after each session. There’s no adjustment or recovery time necessary. HBOT is simple yet effective.
PUTTING PARENTS AT EASE
It’s natural for parents to feel apprehensive about medical treatments for their children, but R3 is here to make it as easy as possible. Although you can’t sit in the HBOT chamber with your child, you can sit right next to the chamber so that your child can see you and communicate with you the entire time.
HBOT becomes much easier after the first session. Your child will grow comfortable with the process and you’ll be able to see that he or she doesn’t experience any distress or discomfort during treatment.
THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ENTS
Every R3 Wound Healing and Hyperbarics location has a close relationship with a nearby ENT practice. If your child needs tubes in his or her ears before receiving HBOT, we’ll arrange for an appointment with a qualified ENT to ensure your child can begin hyperbaric oxygen therapy as soon as possible. And remember: you do not need a doctor referral to begin treatment.
This is sometimes necessary for children who are too young to clear their own ears or communicate when their ears hurt. One quick visit to the ENT resolves all issues and makes HBOT a seamless process.
WHY CHOOSE R3 FOR HBOT FOR YOUR CHILD?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a unique and alternative treatment, so it’s not available at a standard doctor’s office or urgent care center. Your child can only receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a specialized treatment center or hospital, but most HBOT centers don’t allow children to receive therapy in their chambers. Meanwhile, hospitals charge so much for pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy that it’s often unaffordable.
At R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics, we set our facilities apart from other HBOT centers and hospitals by offering child-friendly, reasonably priced HBOT treatments. Because R3 is independently owned and freestanding, we’re able to offer more affordable services. Ultimately, our capable team knows exactly how to put your child at ease and give you and your child the best experience possible.
FAQS ABOUT HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY FOR CHILDREN
We understand that parents have many questions about this alternative healing therapy. Please contact us for any additional questions you may have.
DOES PEDIATRIC HBOT HAVE AN AGE REQUIREMENT?
We’ve seen patients as young as 15 months at R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics. As long as your child is old enough to sit or lay calmly in the clear HBOT chamber, it’s safe to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY CHILD RECEIVE HBOT?
Though it’s not required, the R3 team highly recommends that children receive HBOT five days a week, Monday through Friday. This schedule provides rapid and consistent results. When performed five days a week, the standard HBOT treatment lasts about one month in total.
IS HBOT APPROVED FOR TREATING CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY OR AUTISM?
Recent studies indicate the potential for pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve symptoms of cerebral palsy and autism. At R3 Wound Care and Hyperbarics, we’ve witnessed children with cerebral palsy receive HBOT for unrelated conditions and experience improvements in their cerebral palsy symptoms. However, at this time, insurance does not cover hyperbaric oxygen therapy for these conditions.
Find an R3 Wound Care & Hyperbarics location near you or contact us to schedule an appointment. We have locations in the Dallas – Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metropolitan areas of Texas.
We have locations in the Arlington, Flower Mound, Keller, Castle Hills, Stone Oak, Kingwood, Frisco, Pearland area Texas. Contact one of our offices to make an appointment to begin healing today.