Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy

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             In this paper, I will address three areas concerning Munchausen's Suyndrome by Proxy in regard to mother who victimize their children. First, I will describe the case studies that help us understand the act as it takes place. Second, I will discuss various theories that have been or may be applied to the cause. Third, I will attempt to analyze the application of those theories to the syndrome based on the information that has been collected from studies in the area. Finally, I will conclude with a final thought on the cause of the syndrome in mothers.
             Case Description.
             In 1993, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center (Atlanta, GA) added facilities to perform inpatient covert video surveillance (CVS) of suspected cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP). Forty-one patients were monitored from 1993 to 1997 (Hall, 2000). Published reports on Munchausen syndrome by proxy child abuse (factitious illness abuse) emphasise that the perpetrator is nearly always the child's mother. (Meadow, 1997). It is very rare for the father to be actively involved in the abuse. There are several single case reports of Munchausen syndrome by proxy abuse perpetrated by fathers (Parnell, 1998). An intriguing aspect of Munchausen syndrome by proxy abuse is that it usually occurs in a household in which there are two parents; a mother living on her own is less likely to abuse the child in this way (Meadow, 1998).
             In Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy (MSBP), occasions for being center of attention are created by deliberately causing illness, injury or harm to others to provide opportunities for rescue and care. Often the MSBP sufferer will work as a nurse, perhaps in a hospital ward for sick children (especially very young babies) or in a home for elderly persons, or with severely handicapped people, or as a care giver; the common thread is a victim whose is vulnerable, whose verbal skills or emotional state or mental condition prevents them from explaining what the MSBP person is doing to them and whose hold on life may already be precarious.