Abstract
Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Munchhausen regaled people with embellished tales of his travels with the Russian cavalry in the mid-1790s. Two centuries later, his name was used to describe a condition in which a person exaggerates or self-induces illness or injury to gain attention and medical treatment. Munchhausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a form of this condition in which a caretaker, usually mother, induces illness in her child for special attention. The literature is replete with case studies of mothers who have poisoned or smothered their children, or tampered with medical test results to gain treatment for their offspring, who are otherwise healthy. This chapter reviews MSBP from hypothesized theoretical perspectives, including warning signs that may suggest its presence. We also discuss potential treatments for mothers, children, and families affected by MSBP. Both medical and educational subtypes of MSBP are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Adshead, G., & Bluglass, K. (2005). Attachment representations in mothers with abnormal illness behaviour by proxy. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 187, 328–333.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Ayoub, C. C., & Alexander, R. (1998). Definitional issues in Munchausen by proxy. The APSAC Advisor, 11, 7–10.
Ayoub, C., Schreier, H., & Keller, C. (2002). Munchausen by proxy: Presentations in special education. Child Maltreatment, 7, 149–159.
Bande, C. S., & García-Alba, C. (2008). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: A dilemma for diagnosis. Rorschachiana, 29, 183–200.
Bools, C., Neale, B., & Meadow, R. (1994). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: A study of psychopathology. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18, 773–788.
Bütz, M. R., Evans, F. B., & Webber-Dereszynski, R. L. (2009). A practitioner’s complaint and proposed direction: Munchausen syndrome by proxy, factitious disorder by proxy, and fabricated and/or induced illness in children. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40, 31–38.
Eminson, M., & Jureidini, J. (2003). Concerns about research and prevention strategies in Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 413–420.
Eminson, D. M., & Postlethwaite, R. J. (1992). Factitious illness: Recognition and management. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 67, 1510–1516.
Fisher, G. C., & Mitchell, I. (1995). Is Munchausen syndrome by proxy really a syndrome? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 72, 530–534.
Foreman, D. M., & Farsides, C. (1993). Ethical use of covert videoing techniques in detecting Munchausen syndrome by proxy. British Medical Journal, 307, 611–612.
Grenier, D., Elliott, E. J., Zurynski, Y., Rodrigues Pereira, R., Preece, M., Lynn, R., et al. (2007). Beyond counting cases: Public health impacts of national paediatric surveillance units. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 92, 527–533.
Gross, B. (2008, Summer). Caretaker cruelty: Munchausen’s and beyond. The Forensic Examiner, 54–57.
Hall, D. E., Eubanks, L., Meyyazhagan, S., Kenney, R. D., & Johnson, S. C. (2000). Evaluation of covert video surveillance in the diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Lessons from 41 cases. Pediatrics, 105, 1305–1312.
Heubrock, D. (2001). Münchhausen by proxy syndrome in clinical child neuropsychology: A case presenting with neuropsychological symptoms. Child Neuropsychology, 4, 273–285.
Horwath, J., & Tidbury, W. (2009). Training the workforce following a serious case review: Lessons learnt from a death by fabricated and induced illness. Child Abuse Review, 18, 181–194.
Howe, G. L., Jordan, H. W., & Lockert, E. W. (1983). Munchausen’s syndrome or chronic factitious illness: A review and case presentation. Journal of the National Medical Association, 75, 175–181.
Jennens, R. (2009). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Implications for professional practice in relation to children’s education. Child Care in Practice, 15, 299–311.
Kahan, B., & Yorker, B. C. (1991). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Clinical review and legal issues. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 9, 73–83.
Kannai, R. (2009). Medical family therapy casebook: Munchausen by mommy. Families, Systems, & Health, 27, 105–112.
Klepper, J., Heringhaus, A., Wurthmann, C., & Voit, T. (2008). Expect the unexpected: Favourable outcome in Munchausen by proxy syndrome. European Journal of Pediatrics, 167, 1085–1088.
Leeder, E. (1990). Supermom or child abuser? Treatment of the Munchhausen mother. Women and Therapy, 9, 69–88.
Libow, J. A., & Schreier, H. A. (1986). Three forms of fictitious illness in children: When is it Munchausen syndrome by proxy? The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56, 602–611.
Lyons-Ruth, K., Kaufman, M., Masters, N., & Wu, J. (1991). Issues in the identification and long-term management of Munchausen by proxy syndrome within a clinical infant service. Infant Mental Health Journal, 12, 309–320.
Mart, E. G. (2004). Factitious disorder by proxy: A call for the abandonment of an outmoded diagnosis. The Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 32, 297–314.
Meadow, R. (1977). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: The hinterland of child abuse. Lancet, 2, 343–345.
Meadow, R. (1985). Management of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 60, 385–393.
Meadow, R. (1995). What is, and what is not, ‘Munchausen syndrome by proxy’? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 72, 534–538.
Nicol, A. R., & Eccles, M. (1985). Psychotherapy for Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 60, 344–348.
Patterson, R. (1988). The Münchhausen syndrome: Baron von Münchhausen has taken a bum rap. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 139, 566–569.
Plassmann, R. (1994). Münchhausen syndromes and factitious diseases. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 62, 7–26.
Rosenberg, D. A. (1987). Web of deceit: A literature review of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Child Abuse & Neglect, 11, 547–563.
Rosenberg, D. A. (2003). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Medical diagnostic criteria. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 421–430.
Sanders, M. J. (1996). Narrative family treatment of Munchausen by proxy: A successful case. Families, Systems & Health, 14, 315–329.
Schreier, H. A., & Libow, J. A. (1993). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Diagnosis and prevalence. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63, 318–321.
Shaw, R. J., Dayal, S., Hartman, J. K., & DeMaso, D. R. (2008). Factitious disorder by proxy: Pediatric condition falsification. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 16, 215–224.
Sheridan, M. S. (2003). The deceit continues: An updated literature review of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 431–451.
Siegel, P. T., & Fischer, H. (2001). Munchausen by proxy syndrome: Barriers to detection, confirmation, and intervention. Children’s Services: Social Policy, Research, and Practice, 4, 31–50.
Wilde, J. (2004). The educational manifestation of Munchausen by proxy. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from http://www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/research/resources/student_res/postscriptfiles/vol5/vol5_1_wilde_1.pdf.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dombrowski, S.C., Gischlar, K.L., Mrazik, M. (2011). Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy. In: Assessing and Treating Low Incidence/High Severity Psychological Disorders of Childhood. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9970-2_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9970-2_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9969-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9970-2
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)