Munchausen by proxy is defined as which of the following?

• A. A patient feigning illness to gain attention.
• B. A caregiver intentionally causing or fabricating illness in a child to obtain medical attention.
• C. A patient exaggerating symptoms for financial gain.
• D. A patient with multiple somatic complaints.

Answer: (B)

Munchausen by proxy involves a caregiver deliberately causing or fabricating illness in someone under their care (often a child) to draw attention and obtain medical care or sympathy from health professionals. The key is who is causing the illness and the motive: the caregiver, not the patient, is shaping the clinical picture to stay in the medical system.

This is different from someone who fakes illness for personal attention themselves, or someone who malingers for external rewards like money, or a patient with multiple somatic complaints. Those scenarios involve the sick person themselves or a different underlying motive, not the caregiver acting on behalf of the patient to seek medical care.