From: logical23x@gmail.com   
      
   What is factitious disorder imposed on another?   
      
   In this mental illness a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring   
   for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. The   
   adult perpetrator has the diagnosis (FDIA) and directly produces or lies about   
   illness in another    
   person under his or her care, usually a child under 6 years of age. It is   
   considered a form of abuse by the American Professional Society on the Abuse   
   of Children. However, cases have been reported of adult victims, especially   
   the disabled or elderly.   
      
   People with FDIA have an inner need for the other person (often his or her   
   child) to be seen as ill or injured. It is not done to achieve a concrete   
   benefit, such as financial gain. People with FDIA are even willing to have the   
   child or patient undergo    
   painful or risky tests and operations in order to get the sympathy and special   
   attention given to people who are truly ill and their families. Factitious   
   disorders are considered mental illnesses because they are associated with   
   severe emotional    
   difficulties.   
      
   The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5 is the standard   
   reference book for recognized mental illnesses in the United States. It   
   describes this diagnosis to include falsification of physical or psychological   
   signs or symptoms, and    
   induction of illness or injury to another associated with deception. There is   
   no evidence of external rewards and no other illness to explain the symptoms.   
   Fortunately, it is rare (2 out of 100,000 children).   
      
   FDIA most often occurs with mothers—although it can occur with fathers—who   
   intentionally harm or describe non-existent symptoms in their children to get   
   the attention given to the family of someone who is sick. A person with FDIA   
   uses the many    
   hospitalizations as a way to earn praise from others for their devotion to the   
   child's care, often using the sick child as a means for developing a   
   relationship with the doctor or other health care provider. The adult with   
   FDIA often will not leave the    
   bedside and will discuss in medical detail symptoms and care provided as   
   evidence that he or she is a good caretaker. If the symptoms go away in the   
   hospital, they are likely to return when the caretaker with FDIA is alone with   
   the child or elderly    
   parent.   
      
   People with FDIA might create or exaggerate the child's symptoms in several   
   ways. They might simply lie about symptoms, alter diagnostic tests (such as   
   contaminating a urine sample), falsify medical records, or induce symptoms   
   through various means, such    
   as poisoning, suffocating, starving, and causing infection. The presenting   
   problem may also be psychiatric or behavioral.   
      
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   What are the symptoms of factitious disorder imposed on another?   
      
   Certain characteristics are common in a person with FDIA:   
      
   Often is a parent, usually a mother, but can be the adult child of an elderly   
   patient, spouse or caretaker of a disabled adult   
   Might be a health care professional   
   Is very friendly and cooperative with the health care providers   
   Appears quite concerned (some might seem overly concerned) about the child or   
   designated patient   
   Might also suffer from factitious disorder imposed on self (This is a related   
   disorder in which the caregiver repeatedly acts as if he or she has a physical   
   or mental illness when he or she has caused the symptoms.)   
   Other possible warning signs of FDIA in children include the following:   
      
   The child has a history of many hospitalizations, often with a strange set of   
   symptoms.   
   Worsening of the child's symptoms generally is reported by the mother and is   
   not witnessed by the hospital staff.   
   The child's reported condition and symptoms do not agree with the results of   
   diagnostic tests.   
   There might be more than one unusual illness or death of children in the   
   family.   
   The child's condition improves in the hospital, but symptoms recur when the   
   child returns home.   
   Blood in lab samples might not match the blood of the child.   
   There might be signs of chemicals in the child's blood, stool, or urine.   
   What causes factitious disorder imposed on another   
      
   The exact cause of FDIA is not known, but researchers believe both biological   
   and psychological factors play a role in the development of this disorder.   
   Some theories suggest that a history of abuse or neglect as a child or the   
   early loss of a parent    
   might be factors in its development. Some evidence suggests that major stress,   
   such as marital problems, can trigger an FDIA episode.   
      
   How common is factitious disorder imposed on another?   
      
   There are no reliable statistics regarding the number of people in the United   
   States who suffer from FDIA, and it is difficult to assess how common the   
   disorder is because many cases go undetected. However, estimates suggest that   
   about 1,000 of the 2.5    
   million cases of child abuse reported annually are related to FDIA.   
      
   In general, FDIA occurs more often in women than in men.   
      
   How is factitious disorder imposed on another diagnosed?   
      
   Diagnosing FDIA is very difficult because of the dishonesty that is involved.   
   Doctors must rule out any possible physical illness as the cause of the   
   child's symptoms, and often use a variety of diagnostic tests and procedures   
   before considering a    
   diagnosis of FDIA.   
      
   If a physical cause of the symptoms is not found, a thorough review of the   
   child's medical history, as well as a review of the family history and the   
   mother's medical history (many have factitious disorder imposed on self) might   
   provide clues to suggest    
   FDIA. Often, the individual with FDIA may have other comorbid psychiatric   
   disorders. Remember, it is the adult, not the child, who is diagnosed with   
   FDIA. Indeed, the most important or helpful part of the workup is likely to be   
   the review of all old    
   records that can be obtained. Too often, this time-consuming but critical task   
   is forgotten and the diagnosis is missed. Physicians will ask Children’s   
   Services, and the Legal Department for assistance in reviewing the facts.   
      
   How is factitious disorder imposed on another treated?   
      
      
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