Visitation restrictions: is it right and how do we support families in the NICU during COVID-19?

Abstract

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has largely not clinically affected infants in neonatal intensive care units around the globe, it has affected how care is provided. Most hospitals, including their NICUs, have significantly reduced parental and family visitation privileges. From an ethical perspective, this restriction of parental visitation in settings where infectious risk is difficult to understand. No matter what the right thing to do is, NICUs are currently having to support families of their patients via different mechanisms. In this perspective, we discuss ways NICUs can support parents and families when they are home and when they are in the NICU as well as provide infants the support needed when family members are not able to visit.