title: Children with a mother with delusional infestation--implications for child protection and management.
abstract: Delusional infestation (DI) is a reportedly uncommon psychocutaneous condition in which an individual holds a fixed, false belief of pathogenic infestation of the skin or body contrary to medical evidence. There are reports of such a delusion being shared with family members or close friends (folie a deux/famillie), but the implications of DI induced in children have not been discussed. We describe the case of a mother with DI whose children subsequently shared her belief. Implications for child protection and management are explored.
authors: Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Psychiatry, Charterhouse Square, London, UK.
authors: Hera
authors: H
authors: Ahmed
authors: Department of Dermatology, Whipps Cross Hospital, Barts Health National Health Service Trust, Leytonstone, London, UK.
authors: Elizabeth A
authors: EA
authors: Blakeway
authors: Centre for Psychiatry, London, UK.
authors: Ruth E
authors: RE
authors: Taylor
authors: Department of Dermatology, Whipps Cross Hospital, Barts Health National Health Service Trust, Leytonstone, London, UK.
authors: Anthony P
authors: AP
authors: Bewley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D012753:Shared Paranoid Disorder / Q000523:psychology*