Munchausen Backlash May Leave Kids at Risk

Sept. 20, 2004 -- — When Sandy Greenhough had to hospitalize one of her three children, the experience was distressing. But the worst was yet to come.

Greenhough was accused of being a "Munchausen mother" who was deliberately causing her 4-year-old son's illness. The accusation, and the resulting legal wranglings, left her family emotionally and financially devastated.

"They make you out to be some kind of monster mom," she said. "That label feels like it's stuck with you for the rest of your life."

But Greenhough, who says her son suffers from several conditions including gastroesophageal reflux disease, was determined to fight back. "I decided that I would no longer play the victim and I would stand up for what I believed," she said. "I knew I was not a monster mom."

Munchausen by proxy describes parents — usually mothers — or other caretakers who intentionally sicken or injure children, then request multiple medical procedures to address the problems they inflict.

The name is derived from Baron von Munchausen, an 18th-century traveler who told grandiose stories of his adventures.

There are a number of different theories regarding the origins of MBP behavior. Some believe the women who sicken their children are seeking attention from medical professionals or affirmation of their roles as good mothers.

But a growing number of accused women are disputing accusations of MBP, claiming allegations of this rare form of abuse have turned into a witch hunt.

They argue that MBP has become a conveniently applied label in cases where doctors can't make a diagnosis, or feel a parent has become too aggressively involved in a child's treatment. In other cases, skeptics say, MBP has been used as a weapon in child custody disputes.