Munchausen on the increase?

Specialties School

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It is my observation that many parents strongly advocate for their children to the point of excluding the rights of the rest of the students. I would love to hear from experienced school nurses if this has always been or is this relatively new? We just had a parent demand the school go peanut free despite talking to the student's allergist stating we did not have to do that. Had another demand her child needs special consideration for PE on a week by week basis dependent on the child's decision, a student who plays basketball and softball after school. A student who has refused PE in school and goes to her after school sports? Parents are condoning this. I am sure my coworkers here have more stories than this, as I only have 90 families. AN administrators, please don't put this on FB. Thanks

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
The more things they can find wrong with their children, the higher the chance of getting a SSI check for them. It's sad, but I'm seeing this happen quite a bit.

This is too on the rise. I get many more SS requests for records now than I did 10 years ago. I often wonder how this affects these kid's future when they graduate and seek careers or other employment and carry this "disabled" status with them? I wonder if it disqualifies them from some professions?

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This. THIS is my issue. I had a parent raving because their child was in the same room as someone who was drinking a hazelnut coffee.

I bet same kid has been at the mall with somebody drinking a hazelnut coffee in the vicinity. Did they sue the mall??? Did they even realize or care?

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This is too on the rise. I get many more SS requests for records now than I did 10 years ago. I often wonder how this affects these kid's future when they graduate and seek careers or other employment and carry this "disabled" status with them? I wonder if it disqualifies them from some professions?

Half the time I get these requests, I pull up their file and parents have written "no known health problems." I get a kick out of sending a copy of that.......

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
This is too on the rise. I get many more SS requests for records now than I did 10 years ago. I often wonder how this affects these kid's future when they graduate and seek careers or other employment and carry this "disabled" status with them? I wonder if it disqualifies them from some professions?

Or even (depending on the always-changing health care laws), disqualifies them from insurance coverage because everything they've added to the list is now a pre-existing condition.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Facebook...for example, "Need prayers, at the emergency room with LD"

1 like = 1 prayer

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Specializes in NCSN.
I think it stems from this totally false idea we hold culturally, that if you do everything right as a parent, your kid will be perfect, or at least very well behaved. This causes parents to look for excuses instead of solutions.

I think this is perfectly stated.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.
I often wonder how this affects these kid's future when they graduate and seek careers or other employment and carry this "disabled" status with them? I wonder if it disqualifies them from some professions?

We have run into this. The military sometimes asks for health records from the high school and suddenly, parents want all of the "parent reported" diagnoses removed. If we have no documentation of the diagnosis and parent says they "no longer have that" then we have no choice but to remove it.

I get a kick out of telling a parent who had a doctor write all sorts of allergies on the physical form that now I need a doctor's note reversing it. "Why can't you just give my LD milk in the lunchline??!!!"

Because in KN you insisted they were lactose intolerant. And some doctor wrote it down.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

I get a kick out of telling a parent who had a doctor write all sorts of allergies on the physical form that now I need a doctor's note reversing it. "Why can't you just give my LD milk in the lunchline??!!!"

Because in KN you insisted they were lactose intolerant. And some doctor wrote it down.

I have a parent who listed allergies to cherries, coconut, etc. Dislikes, not allergies.:no:

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Specializes in NCSN.

Because in KN you insisted they were lactose intolerant. And some doctor wrote it down.

This is something I HATE dealing with.

I feel like our MD/OD/NP/etc colleagues need to toughen up when it comes to ridiculous parent requests. I've received doctor's notes stating that "little bobby requires a 504 in place" or "little Suzy needs to learn in a carpet free environment which the school must provide". "Johnny can use his fidget spinner whenever he wants".

And I have even received permission from the families to call and talk to these professionals about their rationale and usually what I get is off the record comments about how the PARENTS acted in the office.

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Specializes in school/military/OR/home health.

I can't believe I forgot this earlier, but I have a family with two kids who are allergic to Arby's roast beef. It's on the physical, signed by a physician. I couldn't just ignore that so I put it in our system, and a teacher was saying how ridiculous this was...I said yes I know, but IT WAS ON THE PHYSICAL so what can I do but put it in our allergy alert list? I told her to hold off on serving Arby's at the class parties. She just gave me a look and a snorty noise. DOnt even think there's an Arby's within 30 miles of here but still.

I was thinking it was likely the horseradish sauce they had a reaction to but seriously, a doctor asked this mom about allergies, heard her say "Arby's roast beef", and put it in the physical?

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The more things they can find wrong with their children, the higher the chance of getting a SSI check for them. It's sad, but I'm seeing this happen quite a bit.

I got my first request for this last week. The kid has ADD and asthma, he's actually quite sweet despite his Mom constantly telling him he's not smart (she said this in FRONT of me!) and other negative self talk that I hear from him in my office every day.

Working in NICU, I had lots of micropreemies where parents receive checks while the babies are still in the hospital. I would have parents that rarely visited, barely called but by golly they needed to get the SSI paperwork certified quickly :( Super sad

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Specializes in OR.

My cousin unfortunately grew up like this. If his mom spent half the time working an actual job as she did at convincing everyone the kid had problems worthy of an SSI check, they'd have lived quite comfortably. She did drink like a fish while pregnant so he has some effects of FAS but is otherwise not a bad guy. He struggled a little in school but not near to the extent she claimed. SS figured her out as he got older and she had to pay some money back. He's now married with a family of his own, works and does okay.....not bad for a kid SHE labeled as "retarded." Sometimes the system does work.

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