Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a form of child abuse instigated by the primary care giver. The abuser creates deliberate illness and/or injury to a child that may result in severe permanent damage or death. The caregiver's motive in harming the child is to gain attention for the care and/or rescue of the child from medical workers, family, and friends.

There are several commonalities among individuals that participate in this type of child abuse. The abuser is most likely to be female and is usually the child's mother. However, there have been cases that involved nurses, babysitters, and fathers. The perpetrator is likely to have a medical background and seems to enjoy the medical environment. In addition, the abuser tends to have low self-esteem and in many cases a previous history of a psychiatric disorder.

The abuser may inflict harm to the victim in a variety of ways. They may smother the child with their hands or by lying on them in hopes that the abuser can then rescue the child. It is also common for children to be overmedicated or not receive the appropriate medication.

The types of illnesses incurred by the victims are usually difficult for doctors to diagnose. As a result, the child may suffer from unnecessary and excessive lab tests and treatments. One victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy incurred more than 200 hospitalizations and 40 surgeries as a child. A key to diagnosing this disorder is that the child's symptoms are not present in the absence of the perpetrator.