To
gain an understanding of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, you need to understand
Munchausen Syndrome itself. This is a
condition in which a person inflicts an illness, injury, either real or made up
on themselves, mainly for attention.
Munchausen by Proxy is when a parent causes injury, illness, or sickness
to their child, according to experts, to gain attention.
Understanding Munchausen by Proxy
The
mind is a very complex creature, that is a fact, and when it comes to this
condition it is no exception. Munchausen
can be a serious condition, and if not recognized, a child's life could be in
danger. This almost always affects
mothers, very seldom is this condition in fathers. The strange thing is, the moms love their
children, and however the need for attention outweighs the concern for their
child. This condition usually affects
intelligent people; it takes some thought and preparation to orchestrate a plan
of action to fool even the best of doctors.
Münchausen
syndrome by proxy is a mental illness and a form of child abuse.
Symptoms of Munchausen by proxy
Some
common practices in munchausen cases include:
- Add blood to the child's urine or stool. The blood needs to come from the child, so this often involves the parent causing a nose bleed in order to get the blood.
- Withholding food from the child so it will appear they cannot gain weight.
- Give the child drugs or intentionally expose them to bacteria to cause illness.
- Inject or infect the IV drip to cause illness
Some
cases have even been reported where the child had feces placed into a surgical
incision site in order to create bacteria, infection.
Munchausen by Proxy Facts
This
condition is not always parent to child, although that is the most common. It can be adult child to their elderly
parent. The person with Munchausen is
often in the healthcare field, or at least has extensive knowledge about
medicine. The parent will be very involved
with the care of the child, and in most cases appears to be a very concerned
parent. There have been cases where the
child dies, and even if that's not the case, they endure senseless suffering
needlessly.
Signs of Munchausen by Proxy
- A child that does not appear to get any better, as anticipated
- A child that seems sick with no apparent cause.
- Repeated visits to the E.R.
- The child seems better when the parent is not present
- Suspicious behavior from parent
- Parent insisting the child is sick, even when tests prove otherwise.
If
you suspect a parent of having Munchausen by Proxy, it needs to be addressed
with the appropriate person, or police if necessary. A child's life is in danger.
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Reporting Munchausen by Proxy Suspicions
Once
a report has been filed, social services have a certain amount of time to
intervene and investigate. It's often
difficult to prove such cases, which means the abused child is placed back in
the care of the parent. This can be very
dangerous and the offending parent does not usually stop the abuse because they
are suspected. There have been a number
of cases that a child has died due to the parent having Munchausen by proxy. If there is ever a question, report your
suspicions and let the proper authorities handle it.
A typical Munchausen by Proxy Case
A 40 year old woman brought her 8 year old daughter into the
E.R. explaining that they just relocated to the area, she no longer had her
family doctor available, and her daughter was violently ill. The first red flag was multiple IV marks on
the child's arms, and the mom had no clear explanation. The child was pale, and had sunken eyes, she
appeared to be very unhealthy. According
to the mom, the child had a feeding tube as she was not able to consume any
foods at all. After two days our staff
offered the little girl a grilled cheese sandwich. The child ate the sandwich in a matter of
seconds and there were absolutely no side effects. When the mom returned and learned of the
solid food, she was livid instead of feeling a sense of relief that the child
could eat, the mom yelled at the doctor that gave the orders to allow her to
eat. The mom then requested alone time
with the child, and at this point, no laws are in place to prevent it, so she
was left with the child, however a nurse was present. The child was fine all night, in the morning
the nurse stepped out for Coffee while mom was asleep, and 30 minutes later the
child has a seizure. At that point police
were called. In this case the mom was
convicted, and the child was put in the custody of grandparents.
Munchausen
by Proxy is a very sad situation. The parent is obviously suffering from a
mental illness, and yet you cannot leave a child in harm’s way, so there really
is no option but to separate parent and child.
Statistics show that this condition is not easily treated, in which case
parent and child may only reconnect with supervised visitation. There have been several cases that were
prosecuted after a child died in the hands of a mother diagnosed with
Munchausen by Proxy. The convictions
ranged from involuntary manslaughter to first degree murder. This condition still remains much of a
mystery, other than the need for attention there seems to be no real
correlation in the parents desire to inflict illness on their child. Hospitals now train staff to observe and
report strange behavior, and many hospitals have security cameras that may
capture inappropriate actions toward a
child.
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