MÜNCHAUSEN SYNDROME BY PROXY

Key words: Münchausen syndrome by proxy, Child abuse, Factitious illness

Münchausen by proxy syndrome (MBPs) is a form of child abuse in which a parent (especially the mother) fabricates or directly produces illness in a dependent child. It represents an insidious type of child abuse that occurs in a medical setting. An active interaction between the caregiver-perpetrator and the medical professional is required for the syndrome to occur. Throughout the description of few cases we especially want to underline the factors that could help physicians in recognizing this syndrome and also the medical attitudes that could allow for the development of this insidious type of child abuse.