New guidance to medics on fabricated or induced illness (FII) risks widening the gulf between doctors and parents.
That’s the view of Yvonne Newbold, who is a member of the Facebook group Parents Protecting Children UK (PPC UK).
Doctors versus parents: there is a greater risk of “parent-blaming assumptions” under new medical guidance on fabricated or induced illness, says a parent group
The new guidance has been issued by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
It defines FII or perplexing presentations (PP) as any situation where parents try to convince medics “that a child is more seriously ill than is the case”.
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Newbold says “parent-blaming assumptions” are often the outcome when medics cannot get to the bottom of a child’s symptoms.
She said there was no consultation with families on the new guidance.
Newbold, who also runs a project focused on helping families with children with anxiety-led challenging behaviour, said the guidelines were produced with “no representation or input” from the people most affected by them.
‘Very rare’ situation
Dr Alison Steele is the RCPCH’s safeguarding officer.
She admitted it is “very rare for parents or carers to deliberately induce illness” by poisoning a child or withholding treatment.
The NHS website refers to a study published in 2000 that estimated 89 cases of FII in a population of 100,000 over a two-year period. However, it suggests it is likely this “underestimates” the extent of the problem.
Most cases based on “incorrect beliefs or misplaced anxiety”
Steele said most cases are based on “incorrect beliefs or misplaced anxiety” about the child’s health.
But these beliefs or anxieties can cause children to suffer harms. These can range from missing school to having unnecessary and painful medical “tests and treatments”, says Steele.
In a statement, the RCPCH said it “sought advocacy from patient and family organisations who have experience of some of the issues discussed in the guidance”.
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Published: 17 March 2021
