Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy essays

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy essays Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, MSBP, also known as Factitious Syndrome by Proxy, is potentially a fatal form of child abuse. The American Psychiatric Associations DSM-IV describes MSBP as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is a mental disorder in which a person falsely reports or causes symptoms to another person under his or her care. Falsely claim a child has experienced serious symptoms, such as seizures; Contaminate test results to make a child appear ill; Physically harm the child to produce symptoms. The victim will get better when separated from the perpetrator. The diagnose MSBP has a long history, a rocky future, and fuels disagreements among medical professionals and the public. MSBP is a mental disorder in which a person falsely reports or causes symptoms to another person under his/her chare. The caregiver almost always the mother and the victim; MSBP is considered a form of child abuse. Victims will generally undergo needless and painful medical test. They may become seriously ill, injured or die as a result of the actions of the caregiver. Most children who are victims of MSBP develop emotional problems that can last a lifetime. In 1794, at the age of 74 Baron Munchausen married a 17 year old. After the Baron had retired to bed, his bride continued to dance the night away with another man. Within a year, the new bride gave birth to a son. It was whispered that the Munchausen child would live only a short time. The child died before his first birthday under suspicious circumstances. Charcot, about a century later wrote about an unusual behavior pattern among young men. In 1877, these men would self-inflict injuries or falsify medical documents, attempting to gain hospitalization and treatment. Charcot called the condition mania operative passiva. In 1951, Richard Asher first used the term Munchausen Syndrome to describe a pattern of self-abuse, where indi...