Munchausen syndrome by proxy: father as a perpetrator.
We conclude that fathers, as well as mothers and female caretakers, can be the perpetrators in Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Those same fathers may be even more difficult to detect when they do not fit previously described personalities and traits associated with mothers. We do not know if this case was an isolated incident or if some cases go undetected because fathers are not suspected as perpetrators. We hope that the case described in this article will alert the medical community to the possibility of either parent as a perpetrator in Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Makar
A F
AF
Dept of Pediatrics, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Mason City, IA.
Squier
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D001049:Apnea / Q000209:etiology; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009110:Munchausen Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology