A Dutch review committee has confirmed that the required medical safeguards, or “due care,” were observed in the euthanasia of a child who was nearly two years old and suffering from severe medical conditions.
According to the committee’s report, the child was born prematurely at 26 weeks and three days of gestation and developed several serious complications, including extensive brain damage, cerebral palsy, and severe epilepsy.
The conditions caused significant health problems, including seizures, sleep disturbances, coughing, and difficulty swallowing.
Doctors also sought an independent second opinion regarding the child’s condition. They concluded that there was no realistic prospect of improvement and that the condition was irreversible.
After discussing the available treatment options, the child’s parents asked the doctor to end their child’s suffering.
Following its review, the committee determined that the physician had acted with due care and in accordance with the requirements for such cases.
The case is the first reported euthanasia involving a child under 12 since the Netherlands expanded its rules in 2024 to allow the procedure for terminally ill children who are suffering unbearably and have no prospect of improvement.
