What if the person a child should trust the most is the one causing them harm? In this episode, host Dr. Denise Millstine speaks with author Andrea Dunlop and pediatrician Dr. Katie Johnson about The Mother Next Door, Andreas’ book on real cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy — also known as medical child abuse. We explore how caregivers, often mothers, manipulate the medical system to fabricate or induce illness in children. The conversation sheds light on the emotional, legal, and medical complexities of this abuse, while offering hope through advocacy, education, and the courage of professionals who speak up to protect vulnerable children.

The episode was made possibly through the generous support of Ken Stevens. 

We talked with:

• Andrea Dunlop is the author of four novels, including She Regrets Nothing and Women Are the Fiercest Creatures, and the host and creator of Nobody Should Believe Me, an award-winning investigative true crime podcast about Munchausen by proxy. Andrea is the founder of Munchausen Support, the nation’s only non-profit dedicated to supporting survivors and families affected by MBP, and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP committee, where she serves alongside the country’s foremost experts. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
• Katie Johnson, M.D., is a child abuse pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Adolescents. She completed her medical school and pediatric residency at Mayo Clinic and her fellowship in child abuse pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital. With a passion for medical education, she has developed a widely-used interactive curriculum in child abuse pediatrics and was the recipient of the inaugural Ray E. Helfer Society Early Career Award for her contributions to medical education in the field. Dr. Johnson has published articles in the peer-reviewed literature about medical child and presented on the topic at several grand rounds and medical conferences across the country.  

Purchase The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy:

• From Bookshop.org
• From Barnes & Noble. 

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