Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy
Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, also called Polle syndrome, is a controversial diagnosis in which a person, usually but not always a mother, intentionally induces or fabricates illness in a child or other dependent person under their care, apparently in order to occupy the sick role vicariously through them. It is closely related to Munchausen's syndrome itself, but the fabricated illness is directed outward, at another person, rather than at the perpetrator's own body. The diagnosis remains contested, given the difficulty of proving underlying motivation and the risk of wrongful accusation.
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Illustration
A mother repeatedly brings her young son to hospital with unexplained episodes of vomiting that only ever occur while he is in her sole care, and it later emerges, following careful investigation, that she had been secretly administering a substance to induce his symptoms.
References
- Casey, P. & Kelly, B. (2019). Fish's Clinical Psychopathology, 4th ed. Appendix I, 'Psychiatric Syndromes'.