Northwestern Events Calendar

Apr
3
2025

What’s Wrong with the “Diagnosis” of Medical Child Abuse? - Maxine Eichner

recurring see all events in this series

When: Thursday, April 3, 2025
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM CT

Where: Robert H Lurie Medical Research Center, 1st floor/Searle Room, 303 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Public - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students

Cost: Free. Registration is required only for Zoom attendance.

Contact: Myria Knox   (312) 503-7962

Group: Medical Humanities & Bioethics Lunchtime Montgomery Lectures

Category: Academic, Lectures & Meetings

Description:

The Master of Arts in Medical Humanities & Bioethics Program

Presents

A Montgomery Lecture

With

Maxine Eichner, JD, PhD
Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Law
University of North Carolina School of Law
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

What’s Wrong with the “Diagnosis” of Medical Child Abuse?

In this talk, UNC Law Professor Maxine Eichner will focus on the relatively new charges of “Medical Child Abuse” being brought against parents accused of overmedicalizing their children.  She will argue that physicians’ identification of these parents went awry as the former, more narrow, diagnosis of Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy was replaced by Medical Child Abuse.  Professor Eichner will also make the case that Medical Child Abuse should not be considered a legitimate medical diagnosis but rather a determination of blameworthiness properly left to courts. Finally, she will contend that the current conceptualization and process for identifying Medical Child Abuse capture far too many parents of children with complicated medical conditions who are simply doing their best to get their children the medical care they need, rather than real child abusers.

This lecture is open to the public and will be held in the Searle Seminar Room in the Lurie Research Building (303 E Superior), Chicago Campus. For those outside the Chicago area and anyone who would prefer to attend remotely, a Zoom option is also available.

**REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ZOOM ATTENDANCE ONLY**
REGISTER HERE

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