The Netherlands has decided to allow children of all ages to undergo euthanasia if they are terminally ill and hopeless. The government said the new rules would apply to an estimated group of around 5-10 children a year, who suffer excruciatingly from their illness, have no hope of recovery, and palliative care is unable to provide relief. “For this group, end of life is the only reasonable alternative to the child’s unbearable and hopeless suffering,” writes a note from the Dutch administrator. The proposed amendment will be determined by ministerial regulation, which is not subject to the approval of both houses and is expected to come into effect later this year.
Terminally ill
“This is a particularly complex issue with very painful situations,” said Health Minister Ernst Kuipers. Noting that euthanasia will only be possible when possible, he said: “After intense consultation with all parties involved, I am very happy that we have reached a solution that will help these terminally ill children, their parents and also their doctors.” seen as the only option to end a child’s suffering. “We’re talking about children who are so sick that their death is inevitable and are expected to die soon,” Kuipers said. In 2002, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia under stringent conditions. All euthanasia cases should be reported to health boards. Currently, the possibility of euthanasia is already foreseen for terminally ill newborns up to their first birthday, and for adults and children over 12 years old if they are in excruciating and hopeless suffering. The law considers them capable of understanding their situation and the seriousness of their decision. Euthanasia requires self-determination and competence that the law considers absent in children under 12.
Discussion
As Nl Times reports, the debate over expanding the right to a sweet death began in the country after the publication of a 2019 study that highlighted the need for an option to end the lives of children in this group of “hopelessly” suffering children. and unbearably”. In the study, several parents described how they had no choice when their child was screaming in pain for hours or having nearly constant seizures. One mother said her son had been screaming, banging his head, and crying for help for three days because of a brain tumor. A strict procedure must be followed after the enactment of the reform on authorizing euthanasia for children, as for children up to the age of 1. First of all, both parents will have to give their informed consent.
Criteria for OK
Next, seven due diligence criteria were identified that euthanasia must meet. The doctor must be convinced on the basis of prevailing medical knowledge that “the child is in desperate and excruciating pain”, including seeking a second opinion from an independent expert. The doctor must believe that there is no other option to alleviate the child’s suffering, must “fully” share the diagnosis and prognosis with both parents, and discuss this with the child “in accordance with his understanding”. This discussion should include the fact that “interruption of life to eliminate suffering is the only reasonable possibility”. The doctor cannot suspect that the euthanasia was performed against the child’s will. Finally, euthanasia should be administered with “medical assistance.”
Euthanasia on the rise
The number of applicants for euthanasia in the Netherlands increased by almost 14% in 2022. There were also 29 couples who decided to die together last year. The increase brought the number of deaths from assisted death to 8,720 last year, which is more than 5% of all national deaths (about 170,000 deaths in a population of 17.5 million), or one death in 20. however, only one case of euthanasia has been reported for a young child aged 12 to 16 years, as data from regional euthanasia review commissions show. The Netherlands will not be the first country to allow doctor-assisted death for children of all ages: Belgium has allowed it since 2014.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.