Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Munchausen syndrome by proxy, MSP, is a psychological disorder identified by attention-seeking behavior done by a caregiver to a child in their care and is a form of child abuse. This is a rare disorder that typically affects mothers and allows the person with MSP to get attention through medical help by making up symptoms of a child in their care. The intentional actions of the caregiver make symptoms worse while health care providers try to find an answer to why the child is having the symptoms.

Typically, those with MSP are not motivated by any material gain and appear very loving, caring, and upset over the child’s illness. Caregivers living with MSP will lie about symptoms, alter tests such as contaminating a sample, falsify medical records, or cause symptoms by poisoning, suffocating, starving, and intentionally causing an infection. Additionally, caregivers with MSP might not feed their child so they’re unable to gain weight, heat thermometers so it appears the child has a fever, and give the child drugs so they feel ill. 

The signs a caretaker might have MSP can be hard to detect because they seem so concerned with the child. However, most caretakers with MSP have worked or currently work in healthcare so they tend to know a lot about medical care. They typically become very involved with the child’s healthcare team and are accepted by staff because of the great concern for their child. Signs a child is being abused by someone with MSP includes frequently being at the hospital, having multiple procedures, symptoms that don’t fit any disease, symptoms are only reported by the caretakers, and drugs or chemicals are found in the child’s samples. 

MSP usually goes undiagnosed because it can be so hard to diagnose, however the first goal of treatment is to protect the child and remove them from the care of their caretaker. The recommended treatment modality is individual or family therapy, but because this is a form of child abuse the caretaker with MSP must be reported to the authorities. If you or a loved one believes a child is being abused by someone with MSP call 911 or the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. 

Source: Medline Plus