Tuesday, September 29, 2026 - A two-year-old child has been
euthanised after the Dutch government cut its age limit for assisted dying.
The toddler was nearly 24 months old and suffering from
severe medical conditions, a review board in the Netherlands revealed.
It was previously known that a child under 12 had been
euthanised in the country, but a Dutch review board has now revealed that the
child was just two years old and had been suffering from severe medical
conditions.
A report by the Committee for Late-Term Abortion and
Termination of Life in Newborns and Children explained that the child, nearly
24 months old at the time of their death, was born prematurely at only 26
weeks.
The toddler suffered from severe brain damage, cerebral
palsy, and visual impairment during their short life, as well as epileptic
seizures that were unresponsive to medication and mucus in their lungs, making
breathing very difficult.
After determining that the child's suffering could not be
alleviated through medical treatment, the doctor and parents decided to end the
child's life.
An investigation by the board concluded that the doctor who
carried out the euthanasia had acted with due care.
The report also stated that the physician had consulted
other independent doctors for a second opinion.
'Those physicians established that at that time the child
was not continuously suffering unbearably,' the document reads.
'The epilepsy caused a great deal of discomfort, but the
epileptic seizures were not continuous. Their conclusion was that there were
still reasonable alternatives, such as palliative options and other medications
that could possibly result in better control of the epileptic seizures.'
Despite this, the child was euthanised after the doctor
sought another second opinion from a physician who concluded that the toddler's
'unbearable suffering was clearly visible' and the requirements for ending the
child’s life through euthanasia had been met.
The committee concluded that the doctor made the correct
assessment.
'All facets of "being human" - regarding motor
skills, behavior, and personality - were severely impaired and were not going
to improve,' the committee said.
'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 unbearably and without prospect of
relief.'
Assisted dying for terminally sick children aged from one to
12 has been legal for two years in the Netherlands. Before the change in
the law, only newborns and those over 12 could be euthanized.
Under Dutch law, parents must be consulted, the child must
be suffering unbearably, and there can be no chance of recovery.
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