Why are so many Mothers of children with invisable medical conditions getting accused of Munchausens by Proxy/FII?

[BuildUpMyFence]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2554867/The-schools-spy-Munchausen-Mums-Teachers-accuse-lying-childrens-autism-attention.html

What is going on in child protection training that so many Professionals are so obsessed with this type of witch hunt?

[BuildUpMyFence]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hunt

If you have GENUINE concern for a child. I suggest you contact NSPCC for advice.

[handcream]

But surely if we dont believe there are ANY cases then we are ignoring the issue.

Build Up. No, you have no idea what goes on my family. You dont listen to the endless stories about scans, investigations and such like paid for privately. Nothing is ever found. This has been going on for years. At the very least she is the worried well and has turned her worries onto her child. At worst she is attention seeking and liable to be suffering from Munchasen's

[hickorychicken]

What would happen if i contacted somebody about it? She might just be an over zealous fb-er.

[BuildUpMyFence]

Who said there are no cases of it?

I gather there was a woman with a diagnosed personality disorder who shaved her poor son's hair off and pretended he had cancer to gain benefits.

[MrsPear]

I have not read the whole thread just the opening few posts so apologies if it has moved on but i just wanted to add that i was once in the positio of having to justify why my son was wearing hearing aids.
GP so what has he got them in -pointed with a pen -?
Me ANSD with moderate to severe loss
GP really. who told you that?
Me consultant audiologist
GP really so what is called AN ....
Me ANSD launch into explanation
GP mmmmmm ... he might as well as said if you say so. Then i suppose you get lots of medical appointments.
Me yes. Now can you please check his ears as i asked

Couldn't wait to get out quick enough. My point is if some doctors attitude is disbelieving about a physical disability than what behavioral issues .. it can only be worse i imagine. As a by the by i should have really asked the GP where he thought i got the aids - e bay?!

[BuildUpMyFence]

Then speak through your concerns with NSPCC. You don't need to give them anyone's name or anything.

[BuildUpMyFence]

www.scotsman.com/news/woman-shaved-son-s-head-and-eyebrows-in-85-000-cancer-benefit-scam-1-2630829

[Spero]

No one is saying that parents NEVER fabricate illnesses in their children and no one is saying that parents ALWAYS fabricate illnesses.

I think what is interesting is that there are a range of genetic conditions that can lead to over diagnosis of inflicted injury and that is worth looking at.

I think the op's point about the fact that some parents with certain conditions can 'present' personality wise in a different way is very interesting. We don't want to judge people just for being 'different' to the norm. We need to be clear about whether they actually do pose a risk to their child.

[hickorychicken]

I dont think for one second shes hurting the children, maybe just looking for attention?
If a child or family are at the doctors all the time are people notified?

[insanityscatching]

I was accused of MBP by my GP when I raised concerns about my toddler ds. Because I had had severe pnd the GP was unable or unwilling to see ds as a separate entity in his own right and every concern was attributed to my pnd even though I was in recovery and my psychiatrist wrote to say my concerns were real and justified and ds needed a referral to a paediatrician.
GP ignored the letter and when the psychiatrist telephoned GP conceded that ds should see a SALT but not before informing SALT that they believed ds was fine and I was the problem.
At the appointment SALT spoke to me like I was something she had scraped off the bottom of her shoe and told me to wait outside. In 20 minutes she called me in with tears in her eyes and kept repeating "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" I asked if she believed me now and she said that ds needed to see a paediatrician and she would contact GP herself to arrange a referral. GP again refused and the SALT referred him herself.
At ds's first appointment the paed said "So your GP thinks this is normal? I worry just how bad it has to be before they refer children to specialists" Ds was subsequently diagnosed at age 3 with moderate autsm, learning difficulties, speech disorder, extreme challenging behaviour.
Two GPs and the HV were criticised when I pressed my complaint they were to put in place new systems and the HV had extra training and the GP's were advised to "refresh" their knowledge and understanding of developmental disorders. I got an apology.
I don't know how common my experience is, I know it was horrendous for me at the time and my trust in GPs is forever tarnished (I insisted on reading my children's notes at each visit for years after ds's were "doctored" in time for the complaint) and I have refused a HV since

[BuildUpMyFence]

MRS, I don't think the joined up school nurse thing was in place until quite recently. I know of a case where the school nurse had no idea the children had a medical condition diagnosed, as nobody told them.

[CoteDAzur]

I was in E&A 4 AM last night with DS who woke up writhing in agony, screaming about painful "sides" (showing under his ribcage on both sides of his body). He was no longer in pain by the time we got to the hospital and I was treated like a crazy woman by the nurse & doctor OK, so they weren't happy to be woken up with a smiling child with no apparent problem, but they didn't take blood, do ultrasound, nada.

I think there is a tendency to be sceptical towards and look down on parents, even for one-off problems.

By the way, DS has been unwell & feverish all day and now is sleeping off a 39.6 C fever. I'm taking him to our usual paediatrician in an hour. Really pissed off that the arrogant paediatrician from last night couldn't be bothered to examine him properly

[insanityscatching]

Mrsd it was awful, I'm not sure I will ever properly get over it. I have a great Paediatrician who I trust, I'm wary of the GP but she put up with me checking dc's notes, she referred dd to a paed on request and she did all health checks because I don't let anyone near my dc who isn't at least a GP.
Looking back I should have changed GPs from the beginning but there were the hidden threats of SS involvement and I was recovering from puerperal psychosis so wasn't at my best anyway.

[BuildUpMyFence]

I think you are right Insanity, that is the legacy they leave the children with after these investigations. Did you read Angela Cannings Daughter's news article? The poor girl sounds traumatised, can't understand why her Mother was traumatised and her Dad sounded depressed all those years later.

You had the support of a very good Psychiatrist and SALT, recovering from ill and dealing with that GP you poor love.

It does change a parent having had that happen to them. If a child is older they will see their parent change from the experience.

[insanityscatching]

Ds was oblivious and still is, one of the joys of autism I suppose My older ones were young too but are now adults and they are fine and youngest dd has never known me any different I suppose.
I have PTSD symptoms around illness and healthcare as a result and it takes all my strength to cope when they need a Doctor and I avoid them like the plague for myself but somehow we've got through and thankfully they have turned out to be very healthy children.

[insanityscatching]

MrsD I'm an absolute battleaxe now, I take no prisoners it has come in very handy when having two with autism and statements of SEN I can tell you .

[Oblomov]

This thread is a lot more technical than I thought it was going to be.
Yes we all know the article is daily mail.
But the basic article is sound. Lots of mums of asd children, get accused of munchausens.
Well yes. That's true. Isn't it?
It's all over the SN boards.
So why exactly is that do very hard to believe?

[Spero]

Sorry to hear that MrsDeVere and insanity. I wish some professionals would just stop with the attitude.

I remember representing a mother who was then under investigation for sexual abuse - 3 years after the event! her child who had been in foster care ALL that time suddenly 'remembered' something. The police were AWFUL to me - really hostile and disgusted. And I wasn't even the accused! I could stand up to them because it wasn't me and it wasn't my child and I thought they were being bullying tosspots and it was a nonsense allegation.

But I can imagine how shitty and awful that would make you feel as the parent.

[Spero]

Oblomov - the question wasn't 'why is it hard to believe it is happening' but rather what is the professional attitude behind assumptions of FII etc.

Or at least that is how I read it.