Medical news site DXY.cn reported on 25/3 about a case where a young girl was admitted to Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, Hubei, suffering from multi-organ pain. During her hospitalization, the child consistently described detailed pain episodes, including esophageal reflux, retrosternal pain, toothache, abdominal pain, difficulty bending fingers, and frequent urination. However, doctors suspected a normal four-year-old child could not accurately describe such complex symptoms without being coached.
Medical staff also noticed the mother's unusual behavior: constantly using her phone to research medical information, questioning doctors with specialized terminology, and presenting numerous photos to "prove her child was ill". She also showed excessive concern for insurance claims, requesting the removal of diagnoses that were not reimbursable.
The truth emerged when the girl's maternal grandfather revealed that the mother had been "addicted" to seeking medical attention since she was young. After giving birth to her daughter, she became obsessed with the idea that her child was ill and continuously sought treatment. Medical records showed the child began frequent hospital visits at two years old, with most diagnoses being normal. In total, the child had 177 outpatient visits, including a period of 24 visits within just six months, and four hospitalizations at Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical University. On some days, she even saw two different doctors and underwent numerous duplicate tests.
After seven days of observation and interdepartmental consultation, with all test results being normal, doctors concluded the child was completely healthy and the mother was the one truly ill. The mother's behavior matched the characteristics of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), a term for a condition where a caregiver projects their anxieties or fantasies about illness onto another person. They exaggerate or fabricate symptoms, forcing the person they care for to undergo unnecessary medical treatments to satisfy their psychological needs. These patients often describe symptoms in great detail and persuasively, leading doctors to easily misdiagnose.
This is considered one of the most severe forms of child abuse, with a recorded mortality rate of nearly 10%. Beyond causing long-term health complications, victims of this syndrome also face other risks such as developmental delays, enduring unnecessary injuries, or being given inappropriate medication.
Related literature indicates this is an extremely rare syndrome, with a limited number of cases recorded worldwide since 1951. If not detected promptly, victims (often children) endure countless excessive tests and treatments, causing both physical and psychological harm.
Currently, medicine lacks empirical evidence to guide definitive treatment for this syndrome, and early detection is extremely difficult. In this first reported case in China, doctors recommended both mother and child participate in intensive psychological therapy. Expert Mark Feldman, who has dedicated 25 years to MSBP research, stated: "Addressing this illness requires not only the efforts of doctors but also the collective oversight of society".
Doctors advise that for cases with recurrent symptoms of unknown origin, in addition to clinical examination, psychological and family factors must also be assessed. If suspicions arise, intervention from a psychological counseling expert is necessary to help both the caregiver and the child return to normal life.
Binh Minh (According to Sina, SETN, 163)
