Benefits and Risks of Visitor Restrictions for Hospitalized Children During the COVID Pandemic

Hospitals must balance the need to control the spread of COVID-19 with the psychosocial needs of patients, families, and health professionals. To control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019, many hospitals have strict visitor restriction policies. These policies often prohibit both parents from visiting at the same time or having grandparents or other family members visit at all. We discuss cases in which such policies created ethical dilemmas and possibly called for compassionate exceptions from the general rules.