Unfortunately I've seen a lot of child abuse working in the ER. Munchausen's by Proxy is a rare form where a parent or caregiver induces illness in their child. Here is one example.
It can go on for a long, long time before someone starts to suspect. The child's caregiver seems to be very concerned and loving, not the typical picture of the abuser.
I was involved in a case where an infant was repeatedly brought to the ER for vomiting and failure to thrive. The baby was repeatedly hospitalized for hydration and the symptoms would quickly improve. After awhile the nurses noticed that the child would have vomiting after the mother came and did the feeds, even that at first didn't cause any suspicion. It took almost twenty admissions before someone became suspicious enough to put the baby in a room with a camera and monitor the mother. She was found to be putting a substance in the babies bottle that turned out to be ipecac. Twenty admissions and untold ER visits with blood draws and IV starts, painful procedures for an infant that wasn't sick.
Friday, April 25, 2008
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We had a kid who was trach-dependent and he was in the hospital for a long time because we were trying to figure out why he kept desatting. One of my former fellow residents had gone in the room one day as a ploy to tell this mom that everything was fine with the baby and that we were going to send her home. As he washed his hands at the sink in the room, he looked up in the mirror and saw her tilting his humidified O2 tubing back into his trach, in effect trying to drown him.
They flew my friend in from his fellowship for the trial and everything.
I have seen this way too many times working in the PICU. You are correct, the parent actually seems to be loving and attentive. One of the tip-offs actually is that the parent is OVERLY loving and attentive, to an extreme.
We once had two in the unit at the same time who were friends with each other. They were part of the group that always exists that we refer to as the "Ronald McDonald Support Group". These are the parents/families staying at the Ronald McDonald house who go back every night and discuss us and how we are treating their children. Since Munchausen's is a result of the parent wanting themselves, and to a certain point, their child, to be the center of attention, we had these 2 parents constantly talking about how their child was sicker and worse off than the other ones. Also had the experience of manipulating vent tubing, etc. Quite a few days of craziness, to be sure.
My problem is this: Munchausen's is now a diagnosable mental illness for the parent. So now, even though they are directly abusing their child intentionally, it is no longer a crime!!!! CPS will take the child while the parent "gets treatment"! Once again, the kids are the victims with no voice!!
Some authorities question whether there actually is such a syndrome.
They maintain it's simply an expression of the parent's psychopathy.
Whether it is psychopathic, or something more specific, they need to be kept away from anyone they might harm. Permanently.
Another sad thing is that almost all of the recent comments on the news paper site are claiming that it is the fault of the doctors that these surgeries were done. Apparently the Munchausen's by proxy trolls are out on the comment section of the Chronicle.
I realize I'm not supposed to understand how a parent can do this but I cannot fathom harming your own child.
I have only read about this disorder. Your story is chilling. I can easily imagine how hard it is to see the behavior pattern. I wonder how often it goes unrecognized.
Sickening. Mental illness or not, people that abuse their children like this are in the same class of scum as child molesters/paedophiles.
And in the same category as those who allow their children to be abused.
Just a different form of disgusting.
Unfrikin believeable. What is wrong with people???
I know a young mother who I believe is doing this. what can I do?
ruthieanne,
There should be some form of child protective services in your state. They should have some way of anonymously notifying them of these concerns. If you are a health care worker, this may be mandatory for you to report your suspicions. Where I am, if I do not report suspicious activity, I can be prosecuted.
Try using the internet search engines, the operator, if all else fails call 911 and ask them if they can give you an idea of where to call. Start off by saying that you are trying to find the right agency and have not found it by other means. Good luck.
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