munchausen syndrome by proxy
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (m[schwa]n-chow-z[schwa]n). A condition in which a caregiver, usu. a parent, fabricates or induces a child’s medical condition and seeks medical treatment for the child on the basis of the fabrications or induced condition. • This syndrome is a kind of child abuse, esp. when the victim is subjected to repeated medical examinations and treatment, often of an invasive nature, and sometimes even to physical injuries that induce symptoms consistent with the falsified medical condition. The parent is usu. emotionally deprived and fabricates or causes the child’s illness or medical condition as an attention-getting device.
