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Factitious disorder imposed on another, FDIA, formerly known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, is a mental

illness in which 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. According to the Cleveland Clinic, in this mental

illness, the adult perpetrator has the diagnosis and directly produces or lies about the illness

in another, under his or her care, Usually a child under six years of age.

It is considered a form of abuse by the American Professional Society on the abuse of children.

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.

According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5, there is no evidence of

external rewards and no other illness to explain the symptoms. Fortunately, it is rare. Two out of

100,000 children. The Cleveland Clinic lists the symptoms

of factitious disorder imposed on another as, often a parent, usually a mother, but can be an

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 health care providers, appears overly concerned about the child or designated

patient, and may also suffer from factitious disorder imposed on self. Other warning signs include,

a child having a history of many hospitalizations, often with

a strange set of symptoms.

Worsening of a 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.

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