A variation of MUNCHAUSEN'S SYNDROME in which the person affected makes false claims of illness in or inflicts damage upon others, usually children (or even animals) in their care. Fabricated illness refers to simulating symptoms, for example stating that the child has blood in its urine when it is actually the parent's blood which they have placed there. Induced illness includes such events as injecting dirty water into a baby's muscles, dropping mild caustic into their eyes, adding salt to a baby's milk or deliberately diluting it 50–50 with water resulting in weight loss, and so on. A small number of sudden infant deaths are due to smothering rather than natural causes, so is a type of induced illness. Unsurprisingly this diagnosis raises controversy and has been the subject of legal challenge.