A 24-year-old Alicante woman has been arrested for allegedly mistreating her baby daughter by depriving her of air as a pretext for regular hospital visits.

The mother is suspected of having Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy which is a psychological condition where a parent seeks medical help for exaggerated or made-up symptoms of a child under their care.

Pediatricians at an Alicante hospital reported their concerns over the woman’s baby, aged under 20 months.

The latest incident saw the child admitted to hospital for convulsions- something that had happened before on a number of occasions.

Medics investigated possible epilepsy but tests found her convulsions were caused by external factors.

A Policia Nacional probe discovered the baby had no underlying medical issues and her problems were deliberately created by her mother.

Every convulsion happened in the presence of her mother and not her father.

In two instances, doctors noted markings on the baby’s mouth which could have been caused by a sheet or towel.

An Alicante court has given full custody of the child to the father, as legal proceedings continue.

The mother has been given an hour of weekly access at a controlled and supervised meeting point.

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