Calling Out the Boy Who Cried Wolf

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a scary form of Munchausen syndrome. In Munchausen's the patient fakes an illness to get attention from physicians. In Munchausen's by proxy, a person, usually a parent or caregiver, makes a patient, usually a child, sick or injured to get attention from physicians. The parent or caregiver can even fabricate the child's illness, making the child believe that he is sick and that he needs to see a doctor when he is actually completely healthy.

This is a difficult diagnosis to make because if it is incorrect, the child will not be getting the treatment that he needs.