I agree that we have to be extremely cautious about this because it would be 
devastating for a parent if he/she was mistakenly suspected of this terrible 
condition.
However, unfortunately, there have been cases of infants being abused and 
neglected because of Munchausen by proxy, and it is only by using hidden 
cameras that hospital staff have been able to prove that a parent is 
sabotaging treatment or with-holding food in order to keep the child under 
medical care.
We had a terrible case a couple of years ago here where a toddler nearly 
died of starvation.  During hospitalization, the staff noticed weight gain 
and recovery versus relapses which correlated with the mother`s presence or 
absence.  She had several other children at home so she was not with the 
toddler all the time.  It was only when hidden cameras were used that it 
could be proved that the mother was harming her child and depriving him of 
food.
It is unthinkable and unbelievable just as it is when one reads of mothers 
joining a cult that cruelly disciplines and abuses their children, but if 
one tragedy can be prevented by awareness of these atrocities, then we 
cannot close our eyes to it.

When we read of cases where a parent was wrongfully convicted of infanticide 
after a case of SIDS, we also are wary that some pediatricians may be using 
faulty diagnostic methods or setting up unproven criteria for suspecting 
that the death is not accidental.  This happened in the UK after which a 
pediatrician who had established the protocols for differentiating between 
SIDS and infanticide was disgraced and struck off the medical register.

There are many such dillemmas.  Social workers are the first to be judged if 
a child dies of malnutrition and neglect and abuse, but on the other hand we 
are very critical of a system that separates parents and children.

Wendy Blumfield
NCT Trained Prenatal Tutor Teacher/Breastfeeding Counsellor
Israel 

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome