Citation

Lobo M. Pathology 2020; 52(Suppl 1): S23.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.pathol.2020.01.105

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Fabricated or induced illness in children (commonly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy) is a rare form of child abuse caused by a carer seeking unnecessary health care for the child, by exaggerating and/or fabricating and/or inducing the child's illness symptoms.
This presentation is based on published literature and on the clinical experience at Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service. It will provide an overview of the history, the debate about the terminology used to describe this condition, the underlying behaviours of the carer, the common presentations of FIIC, and the harm done to the child. The presentation will discuss the process of forensic medical record evaluation used to construct the chronology of the child's presentations to various health services in order to form the evidentiary basis for the diagnosis of FIIC required for formal child protection proceedings, a rehabilitation plan for the child and the carer, and in rare cases for criminal proceedings.

Language: en