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Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Another Form of Child Abuse
Author(s) -
Yeo Soo See
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
child abuse review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-0852
pISSN - 0952-9136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0852(199608)5:3<170::aid-car261>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - munchausen syndrome , child abuse , child protection , suicide prevention , factitious disorder , human factors and ergonomics , psychiatry , poison control , medicine , psychology , medical emergency , nursing
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP) was first described by Dr Roy Meadow in 1977 as a form of child abuse in which illnesses are fabricated in a child by a parent, usually the mother. The parent causes the illness in the child or exaggerates symptoms in the child, resulting in unnecessary medical and psychological treatments and hospitalizations (Meadow, 1985). The presentation of children in a variety of ways to different medical institutions often defies detection (Williams, 1986). Extra vigilance and investigative efforts are required to unravel the complexity of the action in the pathogenic family. In recent years, MSbP has been reported with increasing frequency and it is now recognized as more common in the service delivery system than has been previously documented. Medical, psychological and social information are separate pieces of a puzzle which will remain separate without a coordinating body to integrate and complete the overall picture. This paper explores a particular case in the State of New South Wales, where members of the legal, medical, social work and psychology professions collaborated to establish that the child was in need of care and should be removed from the high‐risk environment in the family home. This is the first Munchausen case in New South Wales that has proceeded to the Supreme Court. Highlighted are the difficulties involved in identifying the syndrome. It is proposed that a coordinating body is fundamental for collating retrospective medical records and to provide a pivotal point for the various professionals involved to meet, exchange and share discrete information. It is further suggested that the Child Protection Services within the State be made responsible for this function and a standardized and systematic procedure be adopted when encountering cases of possible MSbP.