In the Netherlands, a nearly two-year-old child’s life was ended through euthanasia. This is the first known case in the country of a child under the age of 12 undergoing assisted dying.
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The circumstances were made public in a report by the Review Committee for Late-Term Abortion and Termination of Life in Newborns and Children, which examined how the procedure had been carried out.
The report states that the child had been born prematurely at 26 weeks of pregnancy and was almost 24 months old.
The child’s health had been severely affected by several serious conditions: cerebral palsy, severe visual impairment, epileptic seizures that did not improve with medication, and mucus buildup in the lungs, which made breathing extremely difficult.
The parents and doctors concluded that there were no further medical interventions that could treat the condition.
The committee found that the doctor who carried out the euthanasia had complied with the protocols and acted with the necessary care. According to the report, the doctor had also sought a second opinion from independent specialists.
The doctors who initially reviewed the case said that, although the condition was severe, the child did not have “continuous unbearable suffering.” The epileptic seizures caused great distress, but they did not occur without interruption.
They also noted that other options remained available, such as palliative care and various drug treatments to relieve the symptoms.
Following a medical reassessment, another specialist concluded that the “unbearable suffering” was evident and that the conditions for ending the child’s life had been met.
The committee agreed with this assessment. According to the committee, the impairments had severely affected all aspects of the child’s functioning, including motor skills, behavior and personality, while there was no expectation of improvement.
“Despite all medical and non-medical interventions, the parents and the doctor observed no improvement in the child’s condition and were convinced that the child was suffering with no prospect of relief,” the report said.
Two years ago, the Netherlands expanded the possibility of assisted dying to children between the ages of one and 12 in cases where they suffer from severe and incurable illnesses.
Before this change, euthanasia was allowed only for newborns and people over the age of 12.
