Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy: What is It?

Munchhausen syndrome by proxy. What is it? MedicineNet.com defines it as a parenting disorder in which a parent either causes a child to become ill or pretends the child is ill, It is often thought that the parent does this to gain attention. More often than not, the parent causing the illness or pretending that an illness exists, is the mother, rather than the father.The abusive behavior towards the child is always premeditated, it is never done impulsively, and it is not simply a reaction to something the child did or did not do. The mother appears to be a great parent.

According toMedicineNet.com, pretending there is an illness in a child when there really is not, is the most common form of this syndrome .An examples of this would be the parent telling a doctor that the child has blood in his urine when really he does not.. In a case like this, the parent will actually take a sample of the child's urine and add blood to it herself. Upon first appearance, a doctor would probably think there was cause for concern and proceed to run tests on the child. This form of Munchhausen syndrome by proxy puts the child through unnecessary and even painful medical treatments.

Causing a child to become sick, is the other form of Munchhausen syndrome by proxy. This occurs less often, but is by far more dangerous for the child. Children can die because of this form of the syndrome. In these cases, the parent deliberately causes their child to become sick. An example of this would mother putting a small amount of household cleaner in drink that the child is to drink. The mother poisons her own child. The child will probably become violently ill and begin vomiting not knowing why. Another example would be a parent purposely making her baby stop breathing, especially if she is already in a hospital setting. This mother is purposely making the child appear to be sick, and as a result, many children die.

Some people say that Munchhausen syndrome by proxy really does not exist.They think it is just a fancy term to help in a child abuser's defense. Others say that it Isa real disorder and it is far more common than we think. There are documented cases as well as eye-witness cases to prove it does exist. Psychologists are uncertain why mothers with this syndrome act the way they do, but it is believed that she may have a history of mental illness, or she is seeking attention at the expense of her child. Some times, the mother was an abused child herself.

According to kidshealth.org, diagnosing Muchhausen Syndrome by Proxy is hard to do. Some signs that doctors look for would be a child who seems to have more than one medical problem that does not respond to treatment or follows a weird pattern, short-term symptoms that go away when the offender is not around, medical findings that are very unusual, physically or medically impossible, or do to collaborate with the child's medical history. Other signs doctors look for would be a parent who doesn't seem to be reassured when medical tests show that there is nothing wrong and insists that their child is ill, a parent who seems to be very "schooled" in medical details,or appears to like the hospital a bit too much, a parent who is unusually calm when faced with serious problems with their child's health, and even a parent that seems to be too encouraging of the medical staff, or is angry and demands more testing on the child.

No matter how you look at it, Munchhausen syndrome by proxy is also a form of child abuse. The mother is deliberately causing her child pain and or suffering. Many times, the child has no idea why he or she is suddenly sick or going to the doctor when he or she feels just fine. Thankfully, doctors have learned to recognize the patterns to diagnose this illness and save the child before it is too late. The alternatives to the offender being caught, according to kidshealth.org, are either the victim gets old enough and brave enough to tell someone what is happening,so the offender finds a younger victim, or the child dies before they ever have a chance to tell.