“This morning, I released a copy of my report entitled The Cost of Misdiagnosis.”

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley began the commissioners’ Aug. 23 board meeting with a report titled, “The Cost of Misdiagnosis.” It was an evening in which dozens of personal testimonies were heard by the board, with each speaker claiming a Lehigh Valley Health Network physician wrongly accused them of child abuse.

“Recently, my office uncovered statistics that made an impact on the county’s finances,” Pinsley explained. “I became aware of a rare disease called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. This is a disease where a caregiver convinces a child they are sick; often seeking unnecessary medical treatment and intervention.

“Munchausen Syndrome is considered medical child abuse and so Children and Youth Services from Lehigh County provides more than a $30 million budget for and is involved in cases with this disease.”

Pinsley explained that 11 percent of the population of the Northeast region of the state, which includes both Lehigh and Northampton counties, are children. They account for 40 percent of the state’s cases of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

He also addressed the hidden costs of the accusations, from job loss to reputation to family hardships. This was followed by two and half hours of personal testimonies in an over capacity public conference room.

Board members listened carefully to each story.

One story recalled an incident where a parent lost their balance and dropped their infant, resulting in injuries. In another situation, parents tried to help their choking infants. These are but two examples of stories where the same physician pursued alleged child abuse investigations.

Many also spoke of the hardships of dealing with Children and Youth Services, especially if their children were taken away.

Lehigh Valley Justice Institute Executive Director Joe E. Welsh addressed the families directly. “I’m a parent. I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. It is the absolute parent’s nightmare.” As an attorney, he said the possible criminal charges made his head spin. He suggested the District Attorney’s office open an investigation into the allegations raised at the meeting.

Chair Geoff Brace closed the public comments section by saying, “The County of Lehigh has a legal and moral obligation to investigate every allegation of child abuse brought forward to county personnel and agencies. I don’t think anyone in the room disagrees with that. We will continue to ensure that that happens. Nonetheless, these concerns must be sent to the Department of Human Services.”

After a short break, the board resumed their scheduled agenda.

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 13.