Hospitals Ban Children from Visiting
This morning I had a prenatal appointment with a client expecting her second baby. I already knew as I headed out the door that the hospital she was planning to birth in was restricting child visitors, but that exceptions to the rule could possibly be obtained. I had planned to discuss this with her, because I very much believe that a new baby’s siblings should be among the first, if not THE first visitors to the baby. I believe it is very helpful for family bonding and integration of the new baby into the family.
During my drive to the hospital though, I heard a story on the local radio station that all of the local hospitals had decided to increase the ban (The Morning Call reported on it here). The original hospital just banned children under the age of 12…but the new ban at all the local hospitals applies to all children under the age of 18.
In addition to children welcoming new siblings into their families, there is also the issue of children whose parents/grandparents or other loved ones are chronically ill. Restricting children from visiting these family members could lead to deep and life long grief issues, especially when a death occurs.
I believe that this ban smacks of “age-ism.” In a search of the CDC website for about 15 minutes, I was unable to find any data that would indicated that the population under the age of 18 is any more likely to carry the flu, despite widespread media reports about the supposed vulnerability of this population. Yes, the CDC does report higher hospitalization rates for children than other age groups, but that does not prove a higher infection rate–the higher hospitalization rate could be due to a tendency to be more quick to hospitalize children than adults–which in itself may be somewhat caused by media reports.
In addition to “age-ism,” this ban will be more difficult for lower income populations, who may find it impossible to afford childcare so that even an adult can visit a hospitalized loved one.
Predictions are that this ban could remain in effect until the end of flu season…which is what, APRIL? All over a flu scare which seems to be more hype than substance.
I’m certainly in favor of restricting visitors that have flu symptoms. But come on, to restrict people just based on age? I can find no data suppporting this ban, further, even the CDC guidelines for hospitals do not at all mention banning hospital visitors based on age, only based on showing symptoms of flu.
So what do you think, are restrictions of children from hospitals good practice, or over-reactions?
Tags: family, H1N1, hospital visitor, swine flu
This is taking away someone’s rights…children..when well behaved…can be very uplifting for someone in the hospital. My 3 nieces all under the age of 10 drove an hour and a half to visit after I had my baby..I was so looking forward to seeing them..and they were so excited the whole drive.
Hospitals are starting to set rules that most of the public would not agree with..and it’s becoming very scary. If someone wants children to visit..it should be at their own discretion and risk.
I just saw that sign going up at hospitals here. I am appalled. Not only is it a bad idea, medically, but it is very discriminatory against single parents, military parents, and others who do not have easy access to childcare.
Complete overreaction! My jaw dropped when I first read about it. At least it’ll get a few more low-risk women to consider birthing out of hospital, away from arbitrary Rules from On High, but it’ll penalize the families of moms who need to birth in hospitals because of complicating factors :/
awful…..A mom misses her older children too! If it is too unsafe in those situations how can if be safe for a birthing mom or newborn?
Dear Jenn,
As an ER nurse who is desprately trying not to pass the H1N1 along to her 18month old son I believe that this ban is huge and needed. The number of patients coming into the ER’s in the past week and a half has increase by 50% and all have H1N1 - seasonal flu has not hit yet. Seasonal flu could be fatal to a newborn let alone an H1N1. I am personally planning my pregnancys and birth times around the spring so that my children will be at less risk of being in contact with seasonal flu or RSV.
Children under the age of 18y/o are banded because the younger ones don’t have good handwashing nor do they cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. Yes I do know adults who are unable to do this as well and as a nurse advicating for my patient and her child I would ask them to leave the unit. This virus is everywhere and if everyone who was sick would just stay home it would not be so bad, but it is bad. As a nurse and healthcare professional I would do whatever it took to take care of my new baby.
Sara Mindler RN, BSN.
Sara,
I do respect your point of view being there in the trenches. Thank you for your service!
That said…the mere number of people *visiting* the ER with flu-like symptoms really isn’t a good measure of how the incidence level of flu compares with previous years. This year people have been worked up into a panic about H1N1, and so are much more likely to go to the ER about symptoms that they would have self treated at home. Likewise, mere admissions to the hospital alone really can’t be completely used as a basis for comparison, because the health care providers will have a strong bias toward admitting people because of the current “climate” regarding H1N1.
And unfortunately, since we didn’t test for H1N1 in previous years, we really don’t know that the circulating levels of H1N1 are any different this year than in previous years.
The only measures that we really can compare year to year are the number of ICU admissions or deaths. I’m not sure that the number of ICU admissions are tracked though.
And again…I would not have any problem with excluding children who show symptoms of illness from visiting the hospital, or even of requiring children (and, ahem, adults as well, lets just say that bathroom handwashing habits of even adults are less than stellar!) to use a hand sanitizer before moving past the lobby. But I strongly disagree with this all out ban.
I have to agree that this is totally ridiculous and caused by paranoia, which I do not agree is fully warranted.
Targeting anyone under 18 with no symptoms… I can’t even wrap my head around why anyone would think this is a good idea. I feel so bad for anyone in a situation with a parent hospitalized that they cannot go see right now.
My Mother recently had her gall bladder out, and I know that taking my baby to go see her was the highlight of her whole day. It was the only time her blood pressure actually dropped on the monitor to a much safer zone. To think if she would have needed this surgery only a couple months later, I would not have even been able to go visit her because I have no after work hour’s sitter for my daughter, and my husband works a night shift.
I’m just a little shocked about the rules being forced on us so arbitrarily these days.
Christina and now Jenifer have both brought up good points about how visits from children can be the highlight of a hospitalized patient’s stay, or even have medical benefits.
I am hearing now how one hospital in Kansas is even forcing separation of mothers from newborns if the mothers show any H1N1 signs. The hospital will allow the mother to pump milk and the father to feed it to the baby…but the mother can not be in the same room with the baby or hold the baby. Excuse me, but if the mother actually does have H1N1, why in the world do we think that the father would not be a carrier? And why is it okay to feed the baby the mom’s pumped milk, couldn’t that possibly be contaminated? To be sure, I think the baby should be kept with the mother, because in addition to any possibility that the milk is contaminated, it would also have antibiodies in it specific to the interaction between mother/baby. Just yet again the hospitals showing their arrogance in thinking that they somehow have decision making power over the parents…and unfortunately, parents complying (the article reports that this policy has been “well received”).
Bottom line, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend separating nursing mothers from their newborns due to a flu. http://www.aap.org/breastfeeding/healthProfessionalsFAQ.html Direct nursing (rather than pumping and bottle feeding–which especially in the first few days post partum, can REALLY mess up long term breastfeeding!) allows for a better transfer of antibodies to the baby. As the AAP states…by the time the mother shows symptoms, the baby has already been exposed, so discontinuation of nursing (or separation of the mother/baby pair) does not serve a positive purpose.