Euthanasia has been performed on a two-year-old child in the Netherlands for the first time, the Daily Mail reports. The boy was born at 26 weeks of gestation and suffered from brain damage, cerebral palsy, visual impairments, epileptic seizures, and breathing difficulties. Following consultations with independent experts, doctors and the parents concluded that further treatment would not improve the child’s condition.
“Despite all medical and non-medical measures, the parents and the physician observed no improvement in the child’s condition and were convinced that he was enduring unbearable suffering,” the committee’s report stated.
Since 2024, euthanasia has been permitted in the Netherlands for children aged one to 12. The procedure requires parental consent and medical confirmation that the child is experiencing unbearable suffering.
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