Peregrination in the problem pediatric patient. The pediatric Münchhausen syndrome?
Peregrinating pediatric patients are those who go from physician to physician either within hospitals or from clinic to clinic within a community. They are often the symptom bearers of dysfunctional multiproblem families requiring an interdisciplinary approach to diagnosis and management. Because of the obscure nature of the child's pediatric problems, such children are often shunned by the medical profession and other social agencies, setting in motion a sequence of events that can prove detrimental to the child, his family, the community, and the state. This article illustrates the need for an anticipatory, coordinated approach in the management of this complex psychosocial condition.
D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009110:Munchausen Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011581:Psychological Tests