Today was one of those days that left me sooooo hopping mad and wanting to wring somebody's neck or just punch someone really hard (hmm...actually the person who instigated all this could have very well been at the recieving end if it wasn't for some supreme restrain effort on my part!)!!!
This mom brought in her child claiming the child had practically every illness under the sun and insisted that I admit her.Well, to be fair the child did look sickly and emaciated but I knew something was just not right from the moment the mom opened her mouth.The child funnily also looked very comfortable being examined (unlike most kids her age!) and was already anticipating what I was about to do, ie) oral examination, general physicals and systemic examination, as if she has performed the same old routine a hundred times.
It wasn't long before I suspected Munchausen By Proxy.
(Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS), or Factitious Disorder by Proxy, as it's listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision, also known as DSM-IV-TR).
This relatively uncommon condition involves the exaggeration or fabrication of illnesses or symptoms by a primary caretaker. One of the most harmful forms of child abuse, Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome was named after Baron von Munchausen, an eighteenth-century German dignitary known for telling outlandish stories.
What Is Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome?
In MBPS, an individual - usually a mother - deliberately makes another person (most often his or her own child) sick or convinces others that the person is sick. The parent or caregiver misleads others into thinking that the child has medical problems by lying and reporting fictitious episodes. He or she may exaggerate, fabricate, or induce symptoms. As a result, doctors usually order tests, try different types of medications, and may even hospitalize the child or perform surgery to determine the cause.
Typically, the perpetrator feels satisfied when he or she has the attention and sympathy of doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with him or her and the child.
Because the parent or caregiver appears to be so caring and attentive, often no one suspects any wrongdoing. A perplexing aspect of the syndrome is the ability of the parent or caregiver to fool and manipulate doctors. It's not unusual for medical personnel to overlook the possibility of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome because it goes against the belief that a parent or caregiver would never deliberately hurt his or her child.
Well, I hope I did not overlook the possibility.
