The fine line between childhood illnesses and Munchausen syndrome by proxy
“Fine lines” in medicine often refer to situations where decisions are not clear-cut and require careful judgment. Perhaps the most tenuous of lines is the one between “real” childhood illnesses and those caused by Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), also known as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), refers to a specific form of child abuse in which a caregiver, typically a parent or guardian, fabricates, exaggerates, …