Citation

Meadow R. Arch. Dis. Child. 1998; 78(3): 210-216.

Affiliation

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, St James's University Hospital, Leeds.

Comment In:

Arch Dis Child 1998;79(5):466.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9613349

PMCID

PMC1717505

Abstract

Fifteen families are described in which one or more child incurred factitious illness abuse as a result of the father's false story and actions. The degree of direct physical harm, and the chance of death, was high in those families in which the father had Munchausen syndrome or marked somatising disorder. Eleven children died and another six survived repetitive smothering or poisoning. Although the extent of the risk to children living with a parent who has marked somatising disorder is unsure, there must be vigilance on behalf of those children.

Language: en