Women, typically the biological mothers, abuse their otherwise healthy children by deliberately and secretly inducing symptoms of illness in them to force a medically unnecessary, sometimes invasive treatment. In doing so, the perpetrators skillfully portray themselves as self-sacrificing and loving mothers, while simultaneously accepting serious consequences—such as potential long-term physical harm to their child due to the actively inflicted abuse. The reasons behind the abuse by these perpetrators, who often have a background in the medical profession, are often hidden. It cannot be ruled out that the women's desire for attention and sympathy from their social environment and hospital staff serves as a motivation for the subtle abuse. However, this seemingly trivial theory of seeking attention may not be sufficient.