'The Mother Next Door' exposes the dark reality of medical child abuse

Andrea Dunlop’s investigation reveals shocking cases of Munchausen by proxy and medical child abuse.

Illustration by Yifei Fang

By Sarah Oktaviany and Novanka Laras

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy, by Andrea Dunlop

Andrea Dunlop’s new book, The Mother Next Door, delves into one of the most disturbing forms of child abuse: Munchausen by proxy, a condition in which a parent, often a mother, fabricates or induces illness in their child to gain attention and sympathy. Dunlop presents chilling cases of medical child abuse, revealing the devastating consequences for victims and the challenges in uncovering these crimes.

A shocking case of medical child abuse

Faith Preston recalls a harrowing moment at an Easter dinner when she realized her young cousin, Alyssa, was starving. "She was walking around to the tables where everybody was eating, just looking for food," Preston told Dunlop. "So I just finally picked her up in my lap and started feeding her because it was obvious to me that she was starving."

Alyssa's situation was dire, and many suspected her mother was deliberately withholding food. Neighbors saw the child attempting to sneak food, only for her mother to smack it out of her hands. Despite repeated hospital visits and various doctors diagnosing malnutrition, Alyssa’s mother convinced medical professionals that her daughter suffered from an eating disorder. A feeding tube was eventually inserted, yet the abuse continued. Multiple reports were filed with child protective services, but no definitive action was taken.

The challenges of proving Munchausen by proxy

Dunlop highlights how difficult it is to prove Munchausen by proxy. Medical child abuse occurs when a parent or caregiver "fabricates, exaggerates, or induces illness in their child," a form of maltreatment that is more common than most people realize. However, identifying and stopping it remains a challenge.

In The Mother Next Door, Dunlop presents three cases from a single Texas county, each more disturbing than the last. One mother faked her own cancer diagnosis while inducing symptoms of cystic fibrosis in her daughter. Another managed to convince doctors to place a shunt in her son’s skull, claiming he suffered from seizures. These cases were meticulously investigated by Dunlop’s co-author, Mike Weber, a specialist in crimes against children.

Why some parents fabricate illnesses in their children

Dunlop explains that Munchausen by proxy is not simply a case of parental anxiety or delusion—it is an act of deliberate deception. The perpetrators, almost always mothers, seek attention and validation. Social media has exacerbated the issue, providing a platform for these individuals to gain sympathy and financial support. Some have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through fraudulent fundraising campaigns.

These mothers also engage in extensive doctor-shopping, sometimes traveling out of state to avoid detection. Because young children cannot accurately report their symptoms, medical professionals must rely on parental accounts, making it easier for abusers to manipulate diagnoses.

How medical professionals identify child abuse

While some parents genuinely seek excessive medical attention due to overanxiety, certain patterns raise red flags. Doctors and social workers become suspicious when:

A child’s symptoms seem to worsen only in the presence of a parent.
The child’s medical history keeps changing or expanding with new conditions.
Symptoms improve when the child is in the care of someone else, such as a relative or school staff.

The impact of medical mistrust on child abuse investigations

Dunlop points out that broader societal trends have made investigating medical child abuse even more difficult. She notes that the politicization of COVID-19 has increased public skepticism toward the medical community, leading to distrust when doctors question a parent’s claims.

One recent case that has fueled public skepticism is that of Maya Kowalski, the subject of the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya. Maya’s parents were reported for suspected abuse after taking her abroad for controversial chronic pain treatments involving high doses of ketamine. When Maya was placed in state custody, her mother died by suicide, and her father later won a lawsuit against the hospital. While many view the case as an example of government overreach, Dunlop argues that the doctors may have had valid concerns.

The politicization of child abuse investigations

Dunlop, who identifies as liberal, acknowledges that resistance to child abuse investigations comes from both political extremes. Some conservatives argue that government intervention in parenting should be minimal, while some progressives distrust law enforcement and child protective services. These differing viewpoints have led to unlikely alliances between groups such as Black Lives Matter activists and homeschooling advocates, both of whom oppose state interference in families.

The reality of parental abuse

The idea that a mother could intentionally harm her own child is difficult for many to accept. Society often views mothers as selfless caregivers, making it challenging to recognize when abuse occurs. Dunlop stresses, "Being a mother changes you forever, but it doesn’t make you a saint. Mothers are just people, and they’re capable of the full spectrum of human behavior—including heinous, evil acts."

Through The Mother Next Door, Dunlop sheds light on a disturbing reality: medical child abuse is real, widespread, and often goes undetected. Her book serves as a wake-up call for medical professionals, social workers, and communities to remain vigilant and take action before more children fall victim to this insidious form of abuse.

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