A two-year-old child has been euthanised in the Netherlands in the first assisted dying case of its kind involving a non-infant. The child was 24 months old at the time of their death and had been born prematurely at 26 weeks, according to the Mirror.
Medical conditions and decision-making
The child had significant brain damage, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, and epileptic seizures that were unresponsive to medication. The child also had mucus in their lungs, causing breathing difficulties. After concluding that the child's suffering could not be alleviated through medical treatment, the doctor and parents decided to end the child's life.
The Committee for Late-Term Abortion and Termination of Life in Newborns and Children concluded that the doctor had acted with due care. A second opinion from independent doctors was also gathered, which noted that the child was not continuously suffering unbearably at that time, and suggested there were still reasonable alternatives, such as palliative options and other medications.
Further review and conclusion
A further opinion from a doctor found that the toddler's "unbearable suffering was clearly visible" and that the requirements for ending the child's life through euthanasia had been met. The board believed the doctor made the correct assessment.
The report stated: "All facets of 'being human' - regarding motor skills, behaviour, and personality - were severely impaired and were not going to improve. 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."
The committee concluded that the physician was entitled to conclude that there was no reasonable alternative solution to reduce or eliminate the child's suffering other than to end the child's life. Assisted dying for terminally sick children aged from one to 12 has been legal in the Netherlands for two years. Before the change in the law, only newborns and those over 12 could be euthanised.
