What is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

What is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy 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.

Related: Household Stains and Removal Solutions 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.

Related: Food Nutrition 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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