Excellent examination of an often misunderstood crime -- medical child abuse, otherwise known as MBP or Munchausen by proxy.
As a registered nurse and legal nurse consultant, I've long been fascinated by any crime that involves medical ethics, negligence, malpractice, or victimized patients. There's nothing quite so frightening, however, as an innocent child being deliberately harmed by a parent or guardian under the guise of them being brave and heroic for their care of a sick dependent. That devotion and attentiveness can have another side and this book tells the stories of three separate cases where mothers were actively harming their children through unnecessary medical care and procedures for conditions and diagnoses that did not actually exist. Heinous. Made worse by the difficulty in getting the perpetrator's loved ones and friends to accept that the primary care giver's presence and manipulations are making the child ill. Even more frustrating: the lack of cooperation by protective services and the courts in taking appropriate steps to remove the source and cause of the abuse.
The descriptions of events in the stories were very difficult for me to read. I was so impressed by Mike Weber, the detective who is probably one of the leading investigators into crimes against children and a dogged and faithful crusader in his efforts to protect and save the children who are being abused. He overcame so many discouraging setbacks to help get those sickened children away from the mothers who were actively trying to harm them. I love how the book named names of people in the system who did not actively prosecute and obtain justice for the victims. Shame on them.
I agree that there is an issue with MBP because of the attitude regarding the sanctity of motherhood. This, despite the fact that every day you can read news about mothers abusing and even outright murdering their children. So why is it so hard to accept that a mother could deliberately make her child sick to even the point of death while all the time being hailed as a great selfless, sacrificing saint.
At the heart of all of this is the question of why. What drives someone, almost always the mother, to make her child sick. To tell the lies and distort reality so much that their child receives unneeded medication and treatments or even invasive surgical procedures for conditions they do not have. It's definitely a complex issue as it's not that the mothers are mentally ill -- they know what they are doing. Is it the attention they receive? The respect and admiration of others? The drama? That's not been established and it is likely an amalgamation of many personal needs or issues.
Regardless of what makes a mom do this, it has to be caught. Everyone who is suspicious needs to take a stand and report. Despite the fact that MBP , or factitious disorder imposed on another, has existed in the literature for years, it needs greater attention and understanding so that this complex form of abuse can be identified and stopped.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, also the book's co-author, Andrea Dunlop, alludes to having dealt with MBP within her own immediate family as apparently a sister of hers was accused. Details of that were not given, but she references her true crime podcast for further information. I plan to check it out. I always enjoy the experience of listening while reading as it adds to my appreciation of the book.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Tags - nonfiction, crimes against children, tragic, sad, medical, criminal investigation, child abuse
