Fabricated or induced illness in England: Examining mortality and serious harm

Abstract

The term Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) has been used in England since 2002 to cover a situation in which a parent or carer exaggerates the child’s symptoms, or deliberately causes illness in their child, to convince medical professionals that their child is ill. There is an absence of published evidence on its incidence, prevalence, and on the alerting signs used to identify it. This study examined mortality and morbidity in England due to FII by analysing Serious Case Reviews published from 2010 to 2021. During this twelve-year period, there were no reported deaths of children in England due to FII in the SCRs or in a literature review. In the rare cases where serious harm was found, the study suggests that strengthening standard medical practices, rather than searching for evidence of parental culpability, might have provided better outcomes for the children. The article calls for guidance on FII, which suggests that there are high rates of mortality and morbidity to be re-evaluated.