Pathophysiology Symptoms Diagnosis

2.   A pattern of presenting another (victim) to others as ill or impaired.

3.   The behavior is evident even in the absence of obvious external rewards.

4.   The behavior is not better accounted for by another mental disorder such as delusional belief system or acute psychosis.

Spectrum:

• Spectrum:

• Exaggeration of symptoms

• Fabrication of symptoms

• Induction of symptoms

• resulting in harm to child,

• through actions of caregiver,

• in a medical setting

Top ten:

• Top ten:

• Apnea/cyanosis
• Feeding problems/anorexia
• Seizures
• Behaviors
• Asthma/allergy
• Fever/pain…
• No common presentation!

Symptoms actively produced in 57%

• Symptoms actively produced in 57%

• Suffocation, drugs, poisons, etc.
• Half while child was in the hospital!

• Many had unrelated injuries, neglect, FTT

• Average of 3.25 medical conditions

• Web of deceit: a literature review of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

• Rosenberg, Donna A., Child Abuse & Neglect, 1987

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