Understanding
Medical Child Abuse
Exploring the Complexities and Consequences of Caregiver-Induced Illness in Children
Are you ready to truly make a difference for victims of Medical Child Abuse?
“Multiple barriers exist to identifying and reporting these children to Child Protective Services, which need to be recognized and overcome in order to protect these vulnerable children.”
— Sherry, David D et al. “Recognizing medical child abuse in children presenting with chronic pain.”
What is in a name?
Before officially identified by Dr. Roy Meadow in 1977, caregivers making someone ill for attention likely existed earlier. The abuse was describe officially after Meadow’s documented two cases of mothers causing symptoms in their children. He named the condition after Baron Munchausen, known for wild tales, to emphasize the storytelling behavior in caregivers.
Munchausen by Proxy
Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another
The name of the condition was changed within the DSM-5 to Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA) in 2013 to better capture a variety of behaviors beyond Munchausen Syndrome. This new name puts emphasis on the actions of the person causing the illness, rather than suggesting any psychological reasons or gains from the victim's sickness.
The Nature of Medical Child Abuse
What Constitutes Medical Child Abuse?
Medical Child Abuse is a form of mistreatment where a caregiver, often a parent, exaggerates, falsifies, or induces illness in a person under their care, typically a child. This abuse can occur for various motives, including seeking attention, financial gain, or access to medications.
Signs and Symptoms According to DSM-5
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Frequent medical issues that don't respond predictably to treatments, with symptoms only observed by the caregiver.
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Regular, often unnecessary medical consultations across various facilities, with the caregiver displaying an unusual depth of medical knowledge.
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Discrepancies between the caregiver's reports and clinical observations, with symptoms that improve under medical care but worsen at home.
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Overly attentive or overly concerned demeanor, seeking close relationships with medical staff, and showing frustration when tests reveal normal results.
Diagnosis Criteria According to DSM-5
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Falsification of physical or psychological signs or symptoms, or induction of injury or disease, in another, associated with identified deception.”
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The individual presents another individual (victim) to others as ill, impaired, or injured.
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The deceptive behaviour is evident even in the absence of obvious external rewards.
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The behaviour is not better explained by another mental disorder, such as delusional disorder or another psychotic disorder.
“We urge clinicians to consider mothers with a personal history of childhood maltreatment, obstetric complications, and/or factitious disorder at heightened risk for MCA.”
Medical Child Abuse Statistics
Are You Ready to Learn More?
Contact Mike today to set up a training, get a consultation or a review of medical records and elevate your team’s understanding of this complex form of abuse.