What is munchausens by proxy?

Answer 1

Munchausen's Syndrome refers to a psychiatric disorder where patients pretend to have illnesses, and therefore are subjected to many medical tests and surgical procedures. Of course, these would never have been performed if the patient had not tried to fabricate them. However, the most notorious patients have often had dozens of surgical procedures for factitious (false) symptoms. Thus, this is a form of self-mutilation.

Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSP) is a parenting disorder where parents, usually the mother, fabricate symptoms in their children, thus subjecting the child to unnecessary medical tests and/or surgical procedures. In some cases, the parents also inflict injury and can kill their children in the process. MSP is not rare in Apnea Programs. Apnea is the perfect disorder for MSP, because infants appear normal between episodes. Therefore, a parent can bring her baby to a medical facility, fabricate a history of an apparent life threatening event, and the baby will be admitted, many tests performed, sometimes even surgery (such as tracheostomomies) are performed. MSP parents can be quite good at this, often switching from doctor to doctor so that it is difficult for one individual to put it all together. There have been documented cases of MSP in apnea clinics. However, these are much rare than "true" infant apnea.

There is a profile of a parent who is likely to cause MSP. They are usually the mothers. They are often health professionals, especially nurses and respiratory therapists. They often are very friendly with health professionals and cooperative with medical procedures. They appear quite concerned about their child, and are sometimes described as overly concerned. Some psychiatrists believe that this is an attention-seeking behavior. Obviously, not all health professionals who are nice to deal with have MSP.

http://sids-network.org/experts/msp.htm

Answer 2

Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy is when a parent makes up conditions/diseases in his/her child when nothing may be wrong. For example, being insistent that the child is delayed in class when there may be nothing there at all.

Answer 3

"Definition

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a form of child abuse in which a parent induces real or apparent symptoms of a disease in a child.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

This syndrome almost always involves a mother abusing her child by seeking unneeded medical attention for him or her. It is rare and poorly understood. The cause is unknown.

The mother may fake symptoms of illness in her child by adding blood to the child's urine or stool, withholding food, falsifying fevers, surreptitiously giving emetics or cathartics to simulate vomiting or diarrhea, or using other maneuvers (such as infecting IV lines to make the child appear or become ill).

These children are often hospitalized with groups of symptoms that don't quite fit classical disease findings. Frequently, the children are made to suffer through unneccessary tests, surgeries, or other uncomfortable procedures.

The affected parent is usually very helpful in the hospital setting and is often appreciated by the nursing staff for the care she gives her child. She is commonly seen as devoted and unusually self-sacrificing, which can make medical professionals unlikely to suspect the diagnosis.

Her frequent visits unfortunately also make the child accessible to her so that she can induce further symptoms. Changes in physical exam or vital signs are almost never witnessed by hospital staff and almost always occur in presence of the mother.

Munchausen syndrome occurs because of psychological problems in the adult, and is generally an attention-seeking behavior. However, the syndrome can be life-threatening for the child involved because this unusual behavior can escalate to the point of severe physical harm or even death."

Answer 4

It is a mental disorder in which you hurt somebody (usually your child) or make him sick (on purpose) in order to take them to the doctor and get a lot of attention, because the doctor usually can't figure out what's wrong or why these "accidents" or "illnesses" keep happening. Munchausen's is when you hurt or make yourself sick for the same reason.

Answer 5

That's a mental disorder where parents harm their children to get attention for themselves. Or something very close to that.

Answer 6

its where a parent hurts their own child to get attention

its also the case when a person hurts themself just for attention

Answer 7

It's when a parent harms his or her own child to get attention.

Answer 8

when someone causes a child or someone under their control to become sick so that they can get attention. its usually a parent or a nurse

Answer 9

It is a disease that causes people to want attention and to exaggerate problems to draw attention to themselves..

Take a look at this site for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchausen_Syndrome

Answer 10

its when you deliberately hurt or make someone else (usually a child ) sick in order to receive atention not to the victim but for yourself