Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): a review regarding perpetrators of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA)

Munchausen syndrome by proxy: A narrative review and update for the dentist and other healthcare professionals

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP) is a form of abuse in which a caregiver with Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA) fabricates or induces signs or symptoms in a person under their care to satisfy a self-serving psychological need. Unnecessary clinical evaluations, procedures, and treatments that are initiated based on falsification by the abuser inadvertently add to the trauma experienced by the victim. It is a form of abuse and the impact on victims can be severe, sometimes fatal, and far-reaching such as prolonged neglect and extension to affected siblings. The long-term exposure to MSbP may predispose the victim to eventually developing factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS). While MSbP often involves child victims, elderly, adults, and pets have also been reported as victims. MSbP can be a diagnostic challenge, and the important keys to timely identification of MSbP include the ability to detect deception by caregivers through awareness, clinical suspicion, and careful review of available health records; it also involves collecting collaborative information from other relevant healthcare providers including dentists, schoolteachers, and social workers. To date, there are limited published cases of MSbP with oral findings. This paper provides a narrative review of the current understanding of MSbP with a section on cases with oral findings. This paper aims to increase awareness about the clinical presentations and management considerations for MSbP among dentists and other healthcare professionals.

[Medical Child Abuse - A Guideline to Detecting this Particular Form of Child Maltreatment]

The term Medical Child Abuse (MCA) describes a form of child abuse in which the medical system is "abused" by carrying out unnecessary medical procedures on a child. This abuse of the medical system occurs through misrepresentation, non-disclosure, fabrication, misinterpretation or active causation of symptoms by a parent. In this article, the construct ofmedical child abuse is defined and predisposing and motivational factors are examined. It also provides an overview of terms that are used synonymously or comparably in the literature and discusses the connection between MCA and Munchausen-by-proxy-syndrome.The core of the article is the presentation of an internal guideline, which was created by the interdisciplinary working group on MCA of the Clinics for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, the Child Protection Outpatient Clinic and the Social Services at the Charité. It also outlines possible interventions.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy Presenting as Pharyngeal Dysphagia and Recurrent Mouth Ulcers: A Case Report

We report a Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) case, which presented as pharyngeal dysphagia and an acquired tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). A six-month-old Saudi male presented with fever, persistent oral ulcers, intermittent bleeding from the ulcers, failure to thrive (FTT), poor appetite, and possible genetic disease. He had a history of recurring admissions due to infections, including those affecting the chest, ear, and bowel. Additionally, he tested positive for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. There was no history of surgical procedures or blood transfusions. Due to the patient's nutritional status, a gastrostomy tube was inserted. The patient had recurrent bleeding from the tracheostomy tube during the hospital stay despite normal coagulation and platelet profile. Consequently, after diagnostic laryngoscopy, the otolaryngologist specialist pointed out that such retropharyngeal injuries are seen in patients with inflicted injuries, which is, in this case, caused by the mother, as she was the only one with the child during the recurrent bleeding episodes. Thus, we describe a clinical instance of MSBP, especially imitating pharyngeal dysphagia, leading to a delayed diagnosis. We advise adding MSBP to the possible diagnoses upon encountering pharyngeal dysphagia and oral ulcers.

Munchausen by Proxy: Quem e Como? Uma Revisão da Literatura

A síndrome de Munchausen by proxy resulta numa forma de abuso infantil relativamente rara, que acarreta importantes consequências a curto, médio e longo prazo nas vítimas, geralmente crianças. O abusador, frequentemente a mãe da vítima, sem pretensão de ganhos secundários, exagera, fabrica, simula ou induz, de forma deliberada e persistente, sinais e sintomas na criança, levando os profissionais de saúde a acreditarem estar perante alguma patologia real, seguindo uma marcha diagnóstica infrutífera. Pouco se sabe sobre as características dos perpetradores, nomeadamente no que diz respeito à sua história pessoal, antecedentes psiquiátricos e características sociodemográficas, já que a grande maioria dos dados disponíveis na literatura incide apenas nas características das vítimas. Sendo um diagnóstico que levanta diferentes desafios, e provavelmente com prevalência subestimada, esta revisão da literatura debruça‐se sobre o perfil dos agressores, pretendendo consciencializar e auxiliar os profissionais de saúde na sua correta identificação, tão precoce quanto possível.

Suspicion of Munchausen syndrome by proxy with a child's presentation of undernutrition, scurvy, and an apparent Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

PURPOSE

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was recently characterized in the DSM-5 classification. Potential differential diagnoses remain poorly reported in the literature. Our purpose was to present a possible Munchausen syndrome by proxy with undernutrition and scurvy, presenting as ARFID in a child.

METHODS

We describe here a case of an 8-year-old boy who presented with severe undernutrition (BMI = 11.4) and scurvy leading to joint pains. The boy had had a very selective diet since early childhood, and his condition required hospitalization and enteral refeeding. Because of his specific eating behaviour, an ARFID was initially suspected. However, observation of the mother-child relationship, analysis of the child's eating behaviour, and retrospective analysis of his personal history suggested that this was not a true ARFID, and that the selective eating behaviour had probably been induced by the mother over many years, who probably maintained a low variety diet.

CONCLUSION

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a difficult differential diagnosis, which may also affect patients with ARFID symptoms, which may also present in the affected child as apparent ARFID.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, descriptive study.