Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MBPS)

There are various medical child abuses of children, but particularly that which often goes unnoticed is a form of child abuse particularly by the caregivers known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy syndrome (MBPS). Munchausen syndrome itself is a mental or psychiatric illness or disorder that causes someone to inflict illness or injury on themselves or they fake the symptoms of these so as to attract some medical attention/care or medication as a result (Nordqvist, C. 2009).

            In MBPS, the “by proxy” signify that the adult care give (parents, etc.) fakes or causes injury or signs and symptoms of illness to their child to have the attention of others especially medical caregivers/professionals. This is a mental disorder/ illness because the parent, often the child’s mother, appears to be a responsible parent and shows very little or no friction in her family suggesting that this abusive behavior is entirely intentional/planned and not due to the child’s doing. Caregivers may go to the extent of inducing such symptoms to the child via medication, poisoning, starvation and at times even suffocating them. Majority of the cases the mother is the sole responsible for the symptoms or the illness. Individuals with MBPS can use their own child or any other dependent individual to accomplish their necessity to occupy the parental role since the child is prone to victimization from birth up to eight years of age.

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Diagnosis of MBPS is very difficult because of the attentive and caring appearance of the caregiver and they know no one would suspect them to deliberately hurt their own children. At times it’s even more difficult because of the ability of these caregivers to manipulate the medical caregivers since some of them have a piece of medical knowledge and are familiar with how to induce illness to the child. On occasion, an inspection of these patient’s belongings, the medication employed to induce the symptoms would be found (Nordqvist, C. 2009). For more content like this, visit us.

References

Nordqvist, C. (2009). What is Munchausen syndrome by proxy? What is fabricated or induced illness? Retrieved on January 13, 2020 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167880.php