I have been in a children’s hospital before when my niece had serious kidney problems that required surgery. Most children had a parent or grandparent in their hospital room consoling them, rocking them, keeping them from pulling on their IV’s, handing them toys. However, some children there were in the foster care system, from a children’s home or between foster families. A caseworker would show up now and then but many of them were alone with nothing but the occasional nurse showing up every few hours at med pass and the like. I made a point of asking about toddlers who were left to scream for hours. I even asked if I could help and was told I could not. Many children in this world are very much alone, kicked out a foster home and waiting for the next one.
As a child if I had to be examined in an overly personal way I asked my parents to leave the room. This started around middle school, when getting naked seemed like a big deal. I would like to think that doctors who tale advantage of this are rare.
For the most part when puberty hits a child starts wanting to ask private questions about the changes in their body, ask embarrassing questions, and may have deep concerns about puberty related changes. They may get self conscious and want to go in alone and ask questions. By then though, a child can talk, knows how to tell if something happened, and are not the same as a 5 year old. I think if the child has reached an age where they want to show the doctor something private and ask private types of questions and they request to be left alone, they should be allowed. I think children too young to effectively communicate, wouldn’t even ask to be left alone. They would want mom. Where’s mom? A teen may ask for some space, and hopefully will be given it when asked.