A two-year-old child in the Netherlands died by euthanasia, marking the first time the procedure was carried out on a young child under the changed law, the Daily Mail reported. The news was first reported earlier this year in June, but at the time, the child’s age, or any other details, was not revealed. The details came to light after an official review committee examined the circumstances and ruled that the doctors followed standard procedures and acted within the law.
Now, reports have confirmed the child was nearly 24 months old and had been suffering from severe medical conditions.
a third medical expert confirmed that there was no other option to treat the child’s suffering While initial second opinions suggested alternative palliative measures to control seizures. Doctors consulted independent specialists before moving forward. After all the assessments, the committee concluded that the doctor made the correct assessment. “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 Netherlands remains one of only a few countries that allow euthanasia for young children; Belgium has permitted it since 2014.
“All facets of ‘being human’ – regarding motor skills, behaviour, and personality – were severely impaired and were not going to improve,” the committee said. “Euthanasia is only allowed for patients whose unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement has a medical dimension,” the government states. “This can be the case with somatic diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, but also with psychiatric disorders, dementia or multiple geriatric syndromes.”
