When is it okay for kids visit patients in the hospital?
Many mom’s have questions about when it is okay for their young kids to visit patients in the hospital.
Due to significantly decreasing levels of respiratory viral infections in the community, visitor restrictions at Phoenix Children’s Hospital have been lifted.
Since December 14, 2007 visitors under the age of 12 were not permitted to enter the hospital. All areas of the hospital will continue to prohibit visitors of any age with signs of illness (cough, fever, runny nose, rash, etc) from visiting their patients. Because young children are much more likely to spread respiratory viruses to others, hospitals around the country use visitor restrictions to help protect patients when respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are widespread in the community.
“Even simple colds can be life-threatening for hospitalized children who may have other serious health problems,” said Scott Ostdiek, MD, Medical Director of the Infection Control Department at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “Young children are not as careful with hand-washing and other measures that help prevent the spread of infections,” he added.
Respiratory Viruses are the leading cause of lower respiratory tract disease in young children and the leading cause of death among low-birth-weight babies. Symptoms include a low fever, coughing, labored breathing, wheezing and nasal congestion. The national season for respiratory viral infections usually runs from November to April. Most cases of the illness are seen in Phoenix between December and February.
Allison Bell
Media Relations Specialist
Phoenix Children's Hospital
1919 East Thomas Road
Phoenix, AZ 85016
abell@phoenixchildrens.com
Phone 602-546-0824
www.phoenixchildrens.com
Honestly - I think visitors
Honestly - I think visitors with childrens should NOT be allowed to any hospital regardless. When my husband was inpatient at Banner Good Sam a few times and my daughters at ER at Phoenix Children's Hospital, it truly irritates me and a few people to see a whole bunch of kids running around in the lobby, screaming, making noises, and not clean up after themselves. It is absolutely disturbing. We have a large family and we don't even let them visit because every patient needs quiet time and rest so they can heal properly. And they respect that.
The last time, my daughter was at ER in PCH with her forehead split open, bleeding, she was really distracted by a lot of kids playing around in the lobby. It was hard to keep her contained.
I can understand if a mom had 4 kids and one had to be in ER for some health issue and not able to get a babysitter at that point BUT when another adult shows up for that family, that mom should have had that adult take the 3 kids back home while she and her sick child can get the care. Not stay in the ER lobby.
H~
My son was in Children's
My son was in Children's Hospital for a brain lesion when he was 12, and I didn't let my other children visit. Their brother was unconscious most of the time so I thought 1) he's not getting anything out of the visit, 2) they will no doubt be alarmed and frightened to see their older brother with tubes in his mouth and an IV in his arm and him unable to even open his eyes to see them and 3) I will have to divert my attention from my sick child to calm and reassure the other 2. And there was the added concern of how their visit would affect the other patients in the ward.
My husband and I decided instead to give 'updates' to the 2 little ones, and answer their questions about what was going on. This seemed to work well for everyone.