Baby Was Put in Care Even Though Mother ‘Posed No Risk’

A baby was placed into care and is facing adoption after a psychologist misdiagnosed the mother’s mental state.

The child has been in foster care for six months even though experts have said that the mother posed no immediate risk.

A psychologist told Ipswich County Court this week that she had inaccurately assessed the mother as having factitious illness, formerly known as Munchausen’s by proxy. That assessment resulted in Suffolk County Council putting the baby on the childcare protection register.

The diagnosis was based on accusations that the mother had made up illnesses for her son from another relationship, which she denied. The diagnosis was changed after a psychiatrist said that there was no evidence that the mother had fabricated anything about her son.

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