The psychological burden of restricted parental visiting in paediatric intensive care

A recently published study in this journal found that more flexible visiting arrangements reduced the heart rate and blood pressure of adult intensive care patients, in addition to improving patient satisfaction. 1 Although this article does not discuss visiting arrangements in relation to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it does acknowledge the positive effects that visiting has on physiological parameters. There have been some recent publications observing the collateral damage this pandemic has caused on children's education, social care, and health services. 2, 3 This commentary refers to collateral damage in terms of visiting restrictions on children in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A pertinent consideration is the psychological burden of separation on children, young people, and their families during this time.