Narrative minireview of the current status of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for pregnant women

Abstract

We performed a narrative minireview for a PubMed search on March 31, 2023, using the keywords “pregnant” and “hyperbaric oxygen” to identify any related articles. Most reports have described pregnant women with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning being treated by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). HBOT helped improve the maternal condition and ensure normal fetal development. Some pregnant women with CO poisoning treated by HBOT suffered abortions or gave premature birth to low‐weight babies or with congenital malformations. However, these results were considered sequelae of CO poisoning, not HBOT. We hypothesized that for pregnant women facing a life‐threatening situation, for which the effectiveness of HBOT has previously been suggested, prioritizing the stabilization of the mother may also be beneficial for normal fetal development.