FACTITIOUS ILLNESS BY PROXY - MUNCHAUSEN-SYNDROME BY PROXY

Background. Since 1977 a literature has grown describing examples of f actitious illness by proxy (FIP). Method. The literature in English wa s searched using MEDLINE and supplemented by a manual search. Extracte d data focused on terminology of a spectrum of behaviours, clinical fe atures and psychopathology of perpetrators. Results. There has been di fficulty with the use of terminology and classification of psychiatric disorders. Conclusions. The spectrum of FIP is wide. Suggestions are made for the use of terminology and classification when FIP is identif ied.