The Netherlands has recorded its first known case of euthanasia involving a child under the age of 12 since the country expanded its rules on assisted dying for severely ill children.
The child, who was nearly two years old, died in late 2025 after suffering from severe medical conditions, including brain damage, cerebral palsy, serious epileptic seizures and difficulties with breathing and swallowing.
According to a Dutch review committee, the child was born prematurely at 26 weeks and did not respond adequately to medication for the seizures. Doctors also reported that mucus repeatedly accumulated in the child’s lungs, making breathing and swallowing difficult.
The committee said the child’s condition had severely affected their motor skills, behaviour and development, with no prospect of significant improvement despite medical and non-medical interventions.
The decision followed consultations involving the child’s parents, treating doctors and independent specialists. Some doctors initially questioned whether the legal requirement of continuous unbearable suffering had been met and pointed to alternative treatment and palliative-care options.
A subsequent medical assessment, however, concluded that the child’s suffering was unbearable and could not reasonably be relieved through other means. The parents and treating doctor then agreed to the procedure.
After reviewing the case, the Dutch committee concluded that the doctor had acted with due care. The case will also be reviewed by the country’s Public Prosecution Service.
Under Dutch rules introduced in 2024, doctors may terminate the lives of children aged between one and 12 in exceptional circumstances where a child has a terminal illness, is suffering unbearably with no prospect of improvement and there is no reasonable alternative to relieve the suffering. Parental involvement and independent medical assessment are required.
Dutch authorities had expected such cases to be extremely rare, with an estimate of about five cases a year. The nearly two-year-old is the first reported case since the rules covering children in this age group took effect.
