Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): an extreme form of child abuse with a special forensic challenge.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a special form of child abuse in which an adult repeatedly produces symptoms of illness in a person under his/her care. In most cases the perpetrators are mothers who repeatedly and in different ways produce or feign symptoms of illness in their children in order to obtain medical treatment for them. MSBP is thus a special form of child abuse that is also of importance in the field of forensic medicine and a particular challenge to the medicolegal expert. We report two cases of poisoning with different substances (clozapine and clonidine) detected by toxicological investigations at our Department of Legal Medicine. The relevance of the problem for the medicolegal expert and the importance of an interdisciplinary co-operation are pointed out.
Bartsch
Christine
C
Department of Legal Medicine, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Institut für Rechtsmedizin des Universitätsklinikums Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 58, 35392 Giessen, Germany. Christine.Bartsch@forens.med.uni-giessen.de
Risse
Manfred
M
Schütz
Harald
H
Weigand
Nikola
N
Weiler
Günter
G
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003000:Clonidine / Q000506:poisoning / Q000652:urine; D003024:Clozapine / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016735:Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D035781:Siblings; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000506:poisoning / Q000652:urine
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D013565:Sympatholytics; D003024:Clozapine; D003000:Clonidine