The death of a 5-year-old in a hyperbaric chamber in Michigan has raised concerns about oversight in the largely unsupervised wellness industry. Thomas Cooper died in a fire at the Oxford Center, an alternative medicine clinic where he was receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The therapy involves breathing 100% oxygen in pressurized chambers and is FDA-approved for certain medical conditions. However, the Oxford Center was treating conditions not approved by the FDA, such as sleep apnea and ADHD.
The lack of regulation in Michigan and nationwide allows facilities to operate without proper oversight or accreditation. While hospitals follow strict guidelines, many spas and wellness companies operate hyperbaric chambers without meeting safety standards. The death of Thomas Cooper has sparked calls for more regulation and oversight in the industry.
State legislators in Michigan are working to introduce legislation to address the loopholes in hyperbaric therapy regulations. They aim to make chambers safer and prevent businesses from making unproven claims about the therapy’s benefits. Concerns have been raised about facilities not having trained technicians operating hyperbaric chambers and making false promises to desperate parents seeking treatment for their children.
The death of Thomas Cooper is not the first tragedy involving hyperbaric chambers, but it highlights the need for mandatory accreditation and stricter regulations. While the FDA regulates some chambers as medical devices, there is limited oversight of the industry outside of hospitals. Calls for a national safety regulation for hyperbaric chambers have been growing, and the hope is that Thomas’ death will lead to mandatory accreditation and increased safety measures in the future.
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