Additionally, children who have prolonged hospital stays can develop elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, as well as impaired emotional regulation and social skills. This issue stems not from a lack of compassion from parents or health care professionals, but from systemic failures. In the absence of consistent family presence, the child’s daily experience is shaped largely by their interactions with health care personnel. Left medically treated, but isolated and lonely, children turn to television shows or video games as substitutes for human connection. Health care professionals also need to remember that treatment is not synonymous with care.