Mothers on trial: discourses of cot death and Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mothers on trial: discourses of cot death and Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy

AU - Raitt, Fiona E.

AU - Zeedyk, M. Suzanne

N1 - dc.publisher: Springer

PY - 2004/1

Y1 - 2004/1

N2 - This article explores some of the issues raised by Munchausenrsquos Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP) and the relationship between medicine and law, specifically the discourses which feature in the courtroom portraying motherhood and expectations of parenting. These discourses are often hidden yet play a determining role in prosecutions for alleged maltreatment of children involving medically unexplained infant death syndrome. We offer a critique of MSbP and seek to unveil the assumptions about mothers, the parent predominantly affected by the 'diagnosis', and mothering that underlie the association of women accused of deliberating harming their children. We suggest such insights are valuable because although the syndrome has never acquired a clear medical or legal definition, it has had repeated appearances in the literature and courtroom over the last 25 years and has more recently attracted attention from government, health care practitioners, academics and the media. We explore these issues through an examination of two recent Court of Appeal decisions in England: those of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings.

AB - This article explores some of the issues raised by Munchausenrsquos Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP) and the relationship between medicine and law, specifically the discourses which feature in the courtroom portraying motherhood and expectations of parenting. These discourses are often hidden yet play a determining role in prosecutions for alleged maltreatment of children involving medically unexplained infant death syndrome. We offer a critique of MSbP and seek to unveil the assumptions about mothers, the parent predominantly affected by the 'diagnosis', and mothering that underlie the association of women accused of deliberating harming their children. We suggest such insights are valuable because although the syndrome has never acquired a clear medical or legal definition, it has had repeated appearances in the literature and courtroom over the last 25 years and has more recently attracted attention from government, health care practitioners, academics and the media. We explore these issues through an examination of two recent Court of Appeal decisions in England: those of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings.

KW - Child abuse

KW - Cot death

KW - Motherhood

KW - Expert evidence

KW - Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy

KW - Sudden infant death syndrome

U2 - 10.1007/s10691-004-4985-2

DO - 10.1007/s10691-004-4985-2

M3 - Article

SN - 0966-3622

VL - 12

SP - 257

EP - 278

JO - Feminist Legal Studies

JF - Feminist Legal Studies

IS - 3

ER -