Medical child abuse, also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy or factitious disorder imposed on another (FII), involves a caregiver, typically a parent, fabricating or inducing illness in a child to seek attention or sympathy. This form of child abuse is relatively rare but poses significant challenges for child protective services (CPS) and the medical community due to its complex nature.

Unfortunately a growing number of parents of children who live with rare, undiagnosed or complex medical conditions are being investigated by child protective services.

Parents and carers of patients with complex disorders experience long diagnostic odysseys. This is not “doctor shopping” but a sincere effort to find answers and alleviate symptoms.  Sorting out these cases can be challenging and require experienced medical evaluators.

25-30 million people in the US live with a rare disease, 50% are children (NORD)

The average diagnostic time for most rare diseases is 5-10 years. (Eurodis)

The average rare disease patient sees 8 or more healthcare providers before getting an accurate diagnosis.  (Eurodis)

We share references which can help attorneys begin to grasp the extent of the medical conundrum faced by these carers. ElevateRARE also provides educational programming and support for organizations who want to better understand the problem.