Dr. Don Plumley is a pediatric surgeon and medical director of pediatric trauma at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Healthcare workers at Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital are reporting an increase in child abuse cases as families stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.
A top pediatric trauma surgeon and Central Florida child-welfare advocates are sounding an alarm over a sharp rise in severe child abuse cases since the start of the coronavirus pandemic — a trend they fear will likely continue until classrooms reopen in August and the economy improves.
Hospitals should more closely consider the positive potential of letting parents stay with their child, instead of viewing them as a distraction.