Characteristics of 86 families and 142 children diagnosed with Pediatric Condition Falsification in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to analyse cases of Pediatric Condition Falsification reported to the Child Abuse Counseling and Reporting Center (CACRC) to gain more insight into possible trends or common factors that could result in an earlier diagnosis of Pediatric Condition Falsification (PCF) and identify which information is lacking. This study is the first to use the data of PCF cases reported to the CACRC in the Netherlands.

METHODS

All CACRC-files with suspected and confirmed PCF were collected over a five-year period, from January 2008 to December 2013, two of 26 CACRCs did not deliver any files. The Medical Ethical Review Committee of the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, decided on June 20, 2014, that informed consent could be waived (METC 2014 349). Files of 86 families, with 142 children were studied.

RESULTS

This study has provided several new insights: about the reporter, involvement of (medical) professionals, the absence position of the fathers, restrictions in daily functioning and recovery of the PCF-victims, and the high number of formal complaints against the CACRC. This study showed a high rate of extensive medical history and a problematic childhood of the perpetrator, in accordance with literature. Information about the child's own point of view was lacking in the files.

DISCUSSION: This study is the first PCF study in the Netherlands to use data from the CACRC. This study made clear that a more complete and uniform method of collecting information for the CACRC case file, incorporating the child's own point of view, has to be implemented.

CONCLUSION

Besides new information concerning the reporter, fathers' position, perpetrator's history and formal complaints, this study highlighted the need for uniform questionnaires. Implementing these will lead to better data collection, potentially resulting in more knowledge about PCF and the child's own perspective. A concept questionnaire has been added as an appendix (Dutch Guideline KMdF, 2025).