TULSA – Hundreds of pages of medical records for one 3 year old depict several hospital trips, but the recent arrest of the mother points to the possibility that the daughter might not have had illnesses at all, says Tulsa police.
Caitlin Lewis was arrested this week on complaint of child neglect or Munchausen by proxy after her young daughter was brought for medical treatment in July.
By definition Munchausen by proxy is a form of child abuse, reports KidsHealth’s website, that involves the “exaggeration or fabrication” of an illness by the person taking care of the child.
In this case, report Tulsa police, Lewis was accused of abusing her daughter by Saint Francis Hospital staffers after the visit in July. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Lewis not long after an investigation by the Child Crisis Care Unit regarding the health of her daughter.
Tulsa police report that the investigation included the review by Child Advocacy Center pediatricians.
