would u let your child do this ?

Question

the father of my 5 year old son wants to take him to visit his very ill great-granddad in hospital. please understand, i ususally would have nothing against my son visiting hospitals or his great grandad, but this time is different. i found out last night that my son's great grandad has the virus MRSA. whenever anyone visits him, they have to wear a plastic apron and gloves, but not a face mask.

u hear all kinds of horror stories about this virus on the TV news, about how contagious and dangerous it is, especially to the elderly and young. what are your opinions on this ? would any of u let your young child visit someone with this illness ? i felt bad about saying that he can't go, but of course my main priority is the health and wellbeing of my little boy.

what would u do ?

i apologise to anyone who has received a Thumbs Down, simply for giving their opinion - it wasn't me that delt them out !

Storm Chaser - i apreciate your advice, but to be honest, that just raises more worries for me. my son's father is not as carful about hygeine as he should be, and is also wearing a surgical bandage on one hand at the moment, due to a nasty cut... he told the nurse he was unable to wash his hands properly, and the nurse didn't seem to be bothered. neither my son's father, or the nurse that he spoke to have helped me to feel any less worried about this situation.

Answer 1

I have found this site that offers facts on MRSA:
http://www.mrsa.uk.com/
Chances are if your little boy goes to visit he will be passed around and kissed by relatives in the room.Would his father make sure he washed his hands if you weren't around? Or would he nip along to the hospital shop, buy your son sweets, forgetting to clean his hands before he eats? Some things are just not worth the risk.
Follow your maternal instincts.Best of luck.x

Answer 2

I would phone the hospital and speak to the nurses. MRSA has different forms and may be isolated to a covered wound which would make it very unlikely that your son would come into contact with it. They are the ones who can advise you best and it is a shame to deny your son a last visit to a family member.
MRSA is a much misunderstood condition and people think it is just in hospitals but it is estimated that 50% of people carry it in their noses.
I took my 7 month old to visit my dying grand father who had MRSA isolated in a wound and am glad that she got to meet him before he died. Maybe you could go with them so that you can ensure that your son does not touch his great grandad and washes his hands well afterwards ?
I am sure I will get some thumbs down but you can be TOO careful .
I am also a registered nurse myself so understand the risks, it is your decision

Answer 3

You're right to be worried about you son, but MRSA is passed on through contact, it is NOT an air-borne virus. That is why no face mask is needed, but gloves and apron are. Make sure (if you do allow him to go) his father gets him to wash his hands before and after entering the room to see his great-grandad. I used to be a care-worker and dealt with many patients who had MRSA and never needed a face mask. There is a very very VERY minute chance of the MRSA being passed on if the correct procedure is adhered to.

Please also remember that the media makes it's money by telling such horror stories, these are usually a one-sided and illogically thought out view.

Answer 4

I'm sorry for you that you have to deal with this situation. I would be in a delimma too if i were you.

I would suggest you to ask the doctor for advise on what protections are there for you little boy to be able to visit the great grand. If the Doctor has the real good one and it will be safe, then you shouldn't worry too much and let him go. If the doctor said sorry there isn't any guarantee and would not suggest, then, discuss with your husband, tell him that if he do so what are the consequences, use what the doctor said as an excuse not to let the 5 yr old to visit the great grand. If they do have the glass window or glass door, visit him from outside maybe?

Answer 5

I had a similar problem. When my grandmother was dying in hospital she tested positive for mrsa (although they say that it was found on her skin but did not make her ill). I was 81/2 months pregnant at the time and was waiting to hear if i would need a c-section or not. I didn't go to the hospital to visit her because if i had contracted the virus there would have been a big risk for me during surgery. She died without me ever seeing her again sadly.

Answer 6

hi, apart from the obvious issue of mrsa, i dont think hospitals a are place for children unless they are the patient themselves, your little lads great grandad will probably be worrying about his health more than who visits, and as 5 year olds go staying quiet in a hospital is not one of their priorities, i think you are right and i would not take a child to hospital to visit a sick relative, good luck and i hope great grandad recovers soon

Answer 7

When it comes to your child's safety, that is all that matters. In this case, if you are really concerned about your son catching something from his great - grandfather, don't let him go. Instead, have him draw a picture or make a card for his dad to bring to the hospital for him.
Now, if the issue were simply that you were concerned about having your little boy around his dying grandfather, that would be different. Children should never be forced to be around a dying loved one, but they shouldn't be forced to stay away, either. Young children and even infants DO mourn when someone dies. Just because they don't show the signs that we do doesn't mean they aren't affected by the loss. Sheltering them from it will only make it more traumatic and difficult to understand. My son was just under three when his beloved Grandpa died a few months ago. We let our son spend as much time as he wanted with his grandfather; they were together until just a few hours before my father - in - law died. My son also attended the wake and the funeral, and was actively involved in both. That made it easier for him to come to terms with it. But if your son's physical safety is your only concern here, I agree with you.

Answer 8

mmm.. i can understand your predicament.. i wouldn't worry about him catching anything.. make sure he washes his hands well before and after visiting. the thing that i would be more concerned about is him getting upset about putting the full apron/gloves on - he is either going to take it as a great laugh or be quite upset about it - ask him if he wants to go and explain what is going to happen when he gets there.. if he says no then no don't make him go.. if he says yes then let him go but be prepared for him still to be a bit aprehensive about it.. if he starts to get upset when he gets there just take him out. i doubt it would really scar him for life if he did get a bit upset but you don't want the grandad to be upset also. i would be more concerned if the child was a bit older ie 7 or 8 where they have a better idea of what's going on.

Good luck and whatever decision you make i;m sure everything will be fine.

Answer 9

from what I understand loads of people carry MRSa on their skin its when it gets into a wound it causes probs. It sounds like the hospital are taking all the precautions so its up to you. You are a good mum for caring so much, ring up the hospital ward your grandad is on if you have any more questions then you can make an informed choice

Answer 10

First, I probably wouldn't let him either. Why don't you just insist he wear a face mask? That seems like the whole point of protection....

The priority of your should be the health and well being of your son. I don't think the doctors or hospital personel would permit the visit if your son was going to contract it.

Why don't you call the hospital and talk to them about your fears? I can understand if the father wants the grandpa to see your little boy one more time.. call the hospital! Good luck~

P.S. sometimes, an uneasy gut-feeling is there for a reason!