Suffer the little children. The influence of nurses and parents in the evolution of open visiting in children's wards 1940-1970.

Major changes have occurred in children's hospital care in the UK since the 1940s, many provoking intense debate amongst professionals and public. A dynamic tension between the views of nurses and parents appears to have influenced significantly the process of change--but not always to the benefit of the child. The 'vexed question' of parental visiting is one example. Open visiting of hospitalised children is now indisputable--50 years ago however the issue was fiercely debated. Parents could visit weekly, sometimes not at all. Contemporary research into early separation of child and mother introduced new insights into the needs of children. The Government responded by urging hospitals to institute regular visiting for children--a subsequent Report, 'The Welfare of Children in Hospital', recommended daily, open visiting. Progress was slow however: whilst there is evidence nurses tried new policies, it is also clear that certain arguments were repeatedly postulated against open visiting. Through the pressure of dissatisfied parents and sympathetic professionals change was eventually achieved, though not without great effort. It is difficult now to understand why change in such a crucial area was so delayed. This paper presents material from the archives of the Association of British Paediatric Nurses, the pressure group Action for Sick Children and contemporary journal papers, exploring the influence of paediatric nurses and parents in the evolution of open visiting in children's wards in the UK, in the period 1940-1970.