A baby has been taken away from its mother due to Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy.
22-year-old Sarah Melgar has been charged with injury to a child. The Texas mother has also been ordered not to have contact with her child because of a suspected case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
According to health officials, Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a mental illness and also a form of child abuse.
The caretaker of a child, most often the mum, either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like the child is sick.
Melgar pretended her child couldn’t eat and also claimed they had heart problems. She also said they had Down syndrome.
She told doctors that her baby was having multiple health issues since they were 1 month old.
It is believed her baby had to have multiple procedures because of her lies, including numerous spinal taps.
The first time the mother took her child to the hospital she claimed her baby couldn’t eat without throwing up.
She also told the child’s father that their child was diagnosed with a heart defect and suffered a high fever.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram revealed that Melgar also lied about her child having low oxygen levels.
The hospital staff grew concerned about the mother’s multiple claims and frequent hospital visits.
They moved Melgar and her baby to a room with a camera and discovered that she had been lying to staff about her child.
Her child was removed from her care in April and an investigation is currently underway.
It is believed the baby is currently being cared for by their great-grandparents.
Melgar has been banned from having contact with her child for eight years.
