Dutch Report Details Euthanasia of Premature Child Under Expanded Law A Dutch government report has revealed that the first child euthanized under the Netherlands' expanded assisted-dying law was a 1-year-old born prematurely at 26 weeks with severe brain damage and epilepsy. A Dutch government report has revealed that the first terminally ill child to be euthanized in the Netherlands under the country's expanded assisted-dying law was a 1-year-old baby, born prematurely abroad at just 26 weeks. The child was the first known case of someone under 12, but not an infant, undergoing assisted death in the country. Government officials had first revealed in June that a child died by euthanasia the previous year, but did not give more detail, including the gender or the ailment the child was suffering from.Child's Severe Medical Conditions and DiagnosisThe new report, published by the Assessment Committee for Late Termination of Pregnancy and Termination of Life in Newborns and Children Aged 1 to 12 Years, provides extensive details about the case. The child battled sepsis after birth and was diagnosed with very extensive brain damage at four-and-a-half months old. The child was then diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy before being diagnosed with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome, a very severe form of epilepsy, at just eight months old.The epilepsy led to a severe sleeping disorder and caused coughing fits, and the child also had a swallowing disorder. In the months prior to the child's death, the seizures increased significantly when the child was eating, according to the report. The child also suffered from mucus in their lungs, making breathing very difficult. The extensive brain damage severely affected the child's functioning.The child had very severe developmental delay; at the age of almost two years, the child's developmental age was estimated to be that of a six-week-old baby. The child had multiple, very severe disabilities, both mental and physical, and the prognosis was that the child would be dependent on support with all activities of daily living for the rest of their life.The child was at considerably higher risk of developing breathing infections, and physicians ruled there was deemed to be a very high probability of the child dying at a very young age due to complications. Doctors concluded there was a realistic expectation that the child's situation would deteriorate further. 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.Medical Consultations and Second OpinionsThe physician fully informed the child's parents about the process, obtained their consent, and consulted with at least one independent doctor. The report 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, according to the document. 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 euthanized 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. Doctors were convinced that there was no reasonable way to reduce or end the child's suffering other than by termination of the child's life.Legal Checklist for Terminating Child LifeThe physician exercised due care and therefore acted lawfully, the report found. Doctors must consult a six-point checklist before deciding whether to end a patient's life under the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Review Procedures Act. They must rule that the patient is not under duress and decide whether their suffering is unbearable with no prospect of improvement, according to the government.Assisted dying for terminally sick children aged from one to 12 has been legal for two years in the Netherlands. The Dutch government legalized euthanasia for severely ill children between the ages of 1 and 12 in 2024.Before the change in the law, only newborns and those over 12 could be euthanized, and there was no clear euthanasia policy for children between the ages of one and 12 because they were believed to be unable to make their own decisions. Under Dutch law, parents must be consulted, the child must be suffering unbearably, and there can be no chance of recovery.Otherwise, euthanasia in the Netherlands is only permitted if the request comes from the patient and if a doctor agrees that they are suffering unbearably. The doctor must be satisfied that the patient is not acting under pressure and must obtain a second opinion. Euthanasia is only allowed for patients whose unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement has a medical dimension, the government says.Euthanasia has strong public support in the Netherlands, and the country became the first nation to legalize it for those with incurable illnesses in 2002. All cases of euthanasia must be reported to medical review boards, according to the Regional Euthanasia Review Committees. Doctors who perform euthanasia unlawfully risk up to 12 years in prison and could also face a fine. The Netherlands is not the first country to allow doctor-assisted death for children of all ages. Belgium has allowed it since 2014.