What is delegated Munchausen syndrome and how is it dangerous

What is Delegated Munchausen Syndrome

There are people who constantly lie about their health and feign symptoms of illness in order to gain sympathy, attention and care from others. Doctors tend to consider this behavior a mental disorder - it is called Munchausen syndrome.

But some go further. They don't "get sick" themselves. And they come up withFactitious Disorder (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) diseases for loved ones - a child, elderly parents, other people who, for some reason, are in their care. And with all sincerity and ardor they rush to help. This is how the delegated, that is, shifted onto someone, Munchausen syndrome manifests itself.

Most cases of this disorder occur in women. And the victims, as a rule, are children under 6 years old - those who are not able to independently communicate with doctors and talk about their well-being.

Taking care of a child who is "terribly ill", exaggerating fictitious symptoms, complaining about difficulties, such a person kills several birds with one stone. Firstly, he feels himself in demand, needed - after all, without him “they will not survive”. Secondly, he receives attention and compassion from others - friends, neighbors, doctors. Thirdly, it realizes the craving for recognition, fame - after all, they will talk about a selfless mother, they will admire her.

However, most often the person with DSD does not realize that they are acting for the sake of achieving some personal gain. Such people, as a rule, sincerely love their ward, worry and care about him. They really believethat the child (or another close person) is sick, and the doctors simply do not notice his ailments. Therefore, they come up with, or even deliberately cause symptoms in the ward, for example, secretly injecting an irritating substance into his throat so that doctors do not bypass the "difficult case".

How to recognize delegated Munchausen syndrome

Like the usual Munchausen syndrome, it is not easy to recognize its delegated version. There is too much fog and sincere lies in him - no matter how paradoxical it may sound.

However, some common features that suggest a mother (or other caregiver) have delegated Munchausen syndrome do exist. Here they areMunchausen By Proxy (MSBP) or Induced Illness by Carers:

• The mother appears to be caring and extremely worried about her baby.
• She is very friendly and immediately makes contact with doctors, telling them in detail about the symptoms of the disease.
• Mom is savvy in matters of medicine, well versed in the names of drugs and diagnoses.
• The child often, up to several times a year, ends up in a hospital. Moreover, hospitalization is preceded by a strange set of symptoms that cannot be attributed to any specific disease.
• The child's condition and symptoms reported by the mother do not match the test results.
• As soon as the child is admitted to the hospital, his health rapidly improves, the strange ailment recedes.
• Symptoms only begin to appear again when the patient goes home.
• There are suspicions that analyzes are being replaced. For example, the urine brought for analysis has the characteristics of the urine of an adult, not a child.
• There are signs of chemicals in the baby's blood, stool, or urine.
• Normal test results do not reassure the mother. It requires rechecking. And, conversely, looks satisfied (“I told you so!”) When the child's condition worsensMunchausen Syndrome by Proxy | Michigan Medicine.
• Only one parent is involved in the treatment. The second, as well as other family members, do not take any part in this.
• There are suspicions (for example, video footage or words of neighbors in the hospital room) that the mother is taking actions that could worsen the symptoms or harm the child.
• Another child in the family also had an unexplained illness, or even death.

3-4 of these symptoms are enough to take a closer look at the family. If there are more of them, then the diagnosis becomes extremely probable.

What to do if you suspect delegated Munchausen syndrome

This mental disorder is one of those that pose a threat to life. The life of the ward, of course.

Trying to prove that the child is really sick, the mother may require painful tests or medical manipulations. FixedDelegated Munchausen Syndrome: A Form of Child Abuse cases where children have been injected with blood, urine, chemicals to induce suitable symptoms.

The mortality rate among children - victims of delegated Munchausen syndrome reachesMunchausen By Proxy (MSBP) or Induced Illness by Carers 10%.

The disorder is a form of child abuse that is followed by criminal penalties in most parts of the world.

Therefore, the first thing doctors do when suspicion delegated Munchausen syndrome, - ensure the safety of the victim. This is done in different ways. For example, doctors can limit the stay of the mother in the ward with the child. They are looking for a second parent, turn to other family members for help, insisting that they replace the mother in caring for the ward. Also, the hospital can involve law enforcement agencies, social workers, insist on the temporary transfer of the child to state care.

As for the mother or caregiver who is suspected of having a mental disorder, they also need treatment. But helping them is sometimes even more difficult than identifying delegated Munchausen syndrome. These people tend to refuse to acknowledge the problem. And, accordingly, they do not want to participate in its solution.

If, nevertheless, a person agrees to accept help, it will consist in cognitive-behavioral therapy - a form of psychotherapy that is aimed at changing thinking and behavior. This is a long-term process that sometimes takes up to several years.