ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Medical Child Abuse: A Retrospective Analysis from a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital's Childhood and Adolescent Abuse Group.
Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Medical child abuse and factitious disorder imposed on another: two diagnoses, one child-a narrative review for paediatricians.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Review
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10 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMedical child abuse (MCA), previously known as Münchausen syndrome by proxy, involves the fabrication or induction of illness by caregivers-most commonly the mother-leading to unnecessary medical interventions and potential harm to the child.
methodsThis retrospective study analyzed cases of suspected or confirmed MCA managed by the GAIA multidisciplinary team at Meyer Children's Hospital, Florence, between 2010 and 2022. Cases were identified using Rosenberg diagnostic criteria and red flags outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Data were extracted from medical records and analyzed descriptively.
resultsAmong 816 cases of child maltreatment, 8 (0.99%) were identified as MCA. The median age of affected children was 5 years (range: 4-12 years), with a female predominance (6/8, 75%). All perpetrators were biological mothers (8/8, 100%). Children had a median of 23 emergency department visits (range: 4-44), with the most frequent presentations being fever (6/8, 75%), minor trauma (7/8, 87.5%), respiratory complaints (5/8, 62.5%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (4/8, 50%). According to Rosenberg criteria, 5 cases (62.5%) were classified as "possible diagnosis," 1 (12.5%) as "definitive diagnosis," 1 (12.5%) as "diagnosis by exclusion," and 1 (12.5%) as "inconclusive."
conclusionsDespite its low prevalence, MCA poses serious clinical and ethical challenges. Early detection requires thorough documentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and improved access to shared medical records. The GAIA model offers a replicable framework for effective multidisciplinary management.
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