▁unknown , ▁however , ▁it ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁relatively ▁rare . ▁More ▁than ▁ 9 5 % ▁of ▁cases ▁involve ▁a ▁person ' s ▁mother . ▁The ▁condition ▁was ▁first ▁named ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁by ▁Roy ▁M ead ow . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁dis order ▁may ▁indicate ▁criminal ▁behavior . ▁ ▁Sign s ▁and ▁sympt oms ▁In ▁fact it ious ▁dis order ▁im posed ▁on ▁another , ▁a ▁care g iver ▁makes ▁a ▁dependent ▁person ▁appear ▁ment ally ▁or ▁phys ically ▁ill ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gain ▁attention . ▁To ▁perpet uate ▁the ▁medical ▁relationship , ▁the ▁care g iver ▁system atically ▁mis re pres ents ▁sympt oms , ▁fabric ates ▁signs , ▁manip ul ates ▁labor atory ▁tests , ▁or ▁even ▁pur pos ely ▁har ms ▁the ▁dependent ▁( e . g . ▁by ▁poison ing , ▁suff ocation , ▁in fection , ▁physical ▁injury ). ▁Studies ▁have ▁shown ▁a ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁of ▁between ▁six ▁and ▁ten ▁percent , ▁making ▁it ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁le th al ▁form ▁of ▁ab use . ▁ ▁In ▁one ▁study , ▁the ▁average ▁age ▁of ▁an ▁the ▁affected ▁individual ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁diagn osis ▁was ▁ 4 ▁years ▁old . ▁S light ly ▁over ▁ 5 0 % ▁were ▁aged ▁ 2 4 ▁months ▁or ▁younger , ▁and ▁ 7 5 % ▁were ▁under ▁six ▁years ▁old . ▁The ▁average ▁duration ▁from ▁on set ▁of ▁sympt oms ▁to ▁diagn osis ▁was ▁ 2 2 ▁months . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁