Fabricated or induced illness: The importance of health chronologies in recognising this form of abuse

Abstract

Fabricated or induced illness is a rare form of child abuse and school nurses are well placed in the community to identify potential cases. They can interact with school age children over a long period of time and can more easily identify patterns and trends, or inconsistencies in a child's health. School nurses can be key to initiating a multi-agency approach, bringing relevant professionals together and helping to safeguard the child through early recognition of this condition. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of fabricated or induced illness and outline the importance of documentation and in particular the use of health chronologies to identify this rare form of child abuse.