Officials confirmed a child nearly 2 years old was the first person under 12 to die by euthanasia under expanded regulations.
AMSTERDAM (WKRC) - Officials in the Netherlands confirmed a one year old child was the first euthanized under a new law.
Dutch officials have confirmed that a child who was nearly 2 years old became the first child under age 12 to die by euthanasia under expanded regulations, according to PEOPLE.
Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans disclosed in June that a child younger than 12 had died by euthanasia at the end of 2025 after a severe illness, the publication reported.
A national committee that reviews late-term abortions and medically assisted deaths involving children later confirmed that the child was “almost 24 months” old, according to the publication.
The child was born at 26 weeks and developed several serious health complications, including “extensive brain damage” and severe infections that caused sepsis by 4 months old, per the report.
By 8 months old, the child had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and infantile spasms syndrome, also known as West syndrome, according to PEOPLE.
The Cleveland Clinic describes infantile spasms as “a form of epilepsy that affects babies under 12 months old.”
“They look like brief tensing or jerking spells that involve your baby’s abdomen (belly), head, neck, arms and/or legs. If you think your baby is having spasms, it’s important to talk to their pediatrician as soon as possible,” the clinic writes.
PEOPLE's report states that the conditions led to the child developing the following:
- A severe sleeping disorder
- Respiratory complications
- Coughing fits
- A swallowing disorder
“In the course of the child’s short life, there was a complete lack of development or improvement. Every facet of ‘being human’ in terms of motor skills, behavior and personality was severely affected, and there would be no improvement," the report states, per the publication. "Despite all the medical and non-medical interventions, the parents and the physician saw no improvement in the child’s condition and were convinced that the child was suffering unbearably and without prospect of improvement.”
PEOPLE reported that the child’s parents chose euthanasia after considering the prognosis and available treatment options. The review committee determined the physician “had acted with due care” under the circumstances.
The regulations were expanded in 2024 to include children younger than 12 who are terminally ill and suffering unbearably without the prospect of improvement.
The Netherlands legalized voluntary euthanasia in April 2002, becoming the first country to do so. People ages 12 and older may request euthanasia if they can assess and understand their own interests, according to the Dutch government.
Children ages 12 through 15 require consent from a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians must be consulted when a patient is 16 or 17, though they do not need to give consent, the government said.
