Education and Child Matters

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Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

 

WHAT IS MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME BY PROXY?

This is a psychological condition where an individual (a parent in this write up) pretends, fakes, invents, exaggerates and deliberately causes an illness or a disorder in their child.

  1. There will be frequent visits to the GP and hospital.
  2. The parent will try and persuade health professionals their child is ill when they are not.
  3. There will be no real illness to the symptoms the child is displaying.
  4. These symptoms keep getting worse for no reason.
  5. The parent will exaggerate the symptoms.
  6. The parent can give the child things (poison) to induce symptoms.
  7. The parents medical knowledge is more than it should be.
  8. The parent can manipulate tests to prove illness.

Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy is also known as induced or fabricated illness syndrome.

Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy when involving a child is a form of child abuse. 

WHY WOULD A PARENT DO THIS?

There are many reasons why a parent could do this:

  1. The parent gains attention from others around them, especially medical professionals.
  2. The parent receives support from those around them.
  3. The parent stays close to the child.
  4. The parent thinks the child is ill.
  5. They have a history of self harming.
  6. They may have a history of alcohol or drug abuse.
  7. They may have experienced a severe trauma.
  8. They may want to claim benefits (monetary gain).

Parents that indulge in this behaviour can be suffering from the following:

  1. Disturbed thinking
  2. They may be impulsive
  3. They suffer from emotional insecurity
  4. They fear loss
  5. They have a borderline personality disorder
  6. They have somatoform disorder (a mental condition where a parent will feel repeated physical symptoms due to psychological distress) 

IF YOU FEEL THAT A CHILD IS BEING EXPOSED TO MUNCHAUSEN’S SYNDROME WHO CAN YOU REPORT THIS TO?

Please note the name of any person who reports child abuse to any organisation will never be revealed. Sometimes the individual can report the abuse anonymously.  

There are many ways you can report Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy:

You can contact the Police – You can dial 999 if a child is at immediate risk or a child abuse crime has been committed. Alternatively if there is no emergency you can dial 101 or file a report online. 

LINK TO POLICE WEBSITE TO REPORT A CRIME ONLINE 

You can contact Crimestoppers – You can report a crime anonymously to crimestoppers. Their telephone number is 0800 555 111.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CRIMESTOPPERS.

You can contact your local authority child services – You can contact your local authority child services and report child abuse from Munchausen’s by proxy.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE TO A LOCAL COUNCIL

You can contact the NSPCC – You can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns about child abuse from munchausen’s by proxy. If the child is in danger they will call the police. 

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US

WHO CAN A CHILD TALK TO IS THEY HAVE SUFFERED FROM MUNCHAUSEN’S BY PROXY?

Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child has suffered from abuse from Munchausen’s by proxy and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.

LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CHILDLINE – CONTACT US