Netherlands to broaden euthanasia rules to cover children of all ages
The Netherlands is to widen its euthanasia regulations to include the possibility of doctors assisting in the death of terminally ill children aged between one and 12.The new rules would apply to between five and 10 children a year who suffer unbearably from their disease, have no hope of improvement and for whom palliative care cannot bring relief, the government said on Friday.
“The end of life for this group is the only reasonable alternative to the child’s unbearable and hopeless suffering,” it said in a statement.
The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia under strict conditions in 2002. All cases must be reported to medical review boards. The law already provided possibilities for euthanasia involving terminally ill babies until their first birthday and for children over 12.
Only one instance of euthanasia for a minor aged between 12 and 16 was reported in 2022, figures from regional review boards show.
The Netherlands will not be the first to allow doctors to assist in the death of children of all ages. Belgium has allowed it since 2014.
Comments (52)
Euthanasia is a huge burden.
One of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I have done it several times is authorize disconnection of the breathing machine that kept a family member or significant othr technically alive. In every instance their trip to the hospital was done with the thought of them being made better and walking out. I can't even conceive of bringing a child to the hospital to be put down. Hard enough to put down an animal with no kidney function or stage IV cancer.
What are we saying? Little Johnnie or Sally needs dialysis, so let's just put her down now and save the money? Oh your 4 year old has Type I diabetes. They will probably be dead by 23 like most of those are. Let us save them and us from the years of futility and suffering and put them down now.
Where does it end? Their teeth are coming in crooked. Kill them now so girls won't laugh at them.
One of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I have done it several times is authorize disconnection of the breathing machine that kept a family member or significant othr technically alive. In every instance their trip to the hospital was done with the thought of them being made better and walking out. I can't even conceive of bringing a child to the hospital to be put down. Hard enough to put down an animal with no kidney function or stage IV cancer.
What are we saying? Little Johnnie or Sally needs dialysis, so let's just put her down now and save the money? Oh your 4 year old has Type I diabetes. They will probably be dead by 23 like most of those are. Let us save them and us from the years of futility and suffering and put them down now.
Where does it end? Their teeth are coming in crooked. Kill them now so girls won't laugh at them.
One of the hardest things I have ever had to do and I have done it several times is authorize disconnection of the breathing machine that kept a family member or significant othr technically alive. In every instance their trip to the hospital was done with the thought of them being made better and walking out. I can't even conceive of bringing a child to the hospital to be put down. Hard enough to put down an animal with no kidney function or stage IV cancer.
Where does it end? Their teeth are coming in crooked. Kill them now so girls won't laugh at them.
If you read the article I cited it explains that it's there to cover those children between the ages of one and twelve for whom palliative care brings no relief. An example in another article (which I can't find now) was a child with a brain tumour who screamed in pain for the last three days of their life.
48 hours before my mum passed, she was in so much pain I would have euthanised her myself if need be. Palliative care brought relief, however, and in retrospect although she appeared unconscious there were indicators that she was very much in control of her own passing. I'm glad I didn't/couldn't take that control away from her, but the very short time that she was in extreme pain before new/extra meds kicked in felt like an eternity.
When we make life and death decisions for our loved ones it's burden we don't want and neither of us can imagine that rare burden where palliative brings no relief for a child. Why would this be a slippery slope towards euthanising children with crooked teeth?
I am of the belief that it is a person's choice and I think they have a right for their destiny.
Now when it comes to children it seems wrong on all levels.
I am of the belief that it is a person's choice and I think they have a right for their destiny.
Now when it comes to children it seems wrong on all levels.
I am of the belief that it is a person's choice and I think they have a right for their destiny.
Now when it comes to children it seems wrong on all levels.
And if you were born like that, or as a child permanently injured, your parents would move heaven and earth to stop that pain, even if the only way was to end life itself.
Never ever been faced with a situation like this, for which I am deeply and profoundly grateful, except with beloved pets and then it was a no-brainer to stop their pain.
I am of the belief that it is a person's choice and I think they have a right for their destiny.
Now when it comes to children it seems wrong on all levels.
And if you were born like that, or as a child permanently injured, your parents would move heaven and earth to stop that pain, even if the only way was to end life itself.
Never ever been faced with a situation like this, for which I am deeply and profoundly grateful, except with beloved pets and then it was a no-brainer to stop their pain.
Your contributions always help me think.
And if you were born like that, or as a child permanently injured, your parents would move heaven and earth to stop that pain, even if the only way was to end life itself.
Never ever been faced with a situation like this, for which I am deeply and profoundly grateful, except with beloved pets and then it was a no-brainer to stop their pain.
Do we die when we are good and ready? Is screaming in pain a sign that we are still fighting to stay alive?
Is making the choice of euthanasia more for our own needs because we struggle to see our loved ones suffering?
Palliative care shortens life, that I did not know....
but there again, they are called the Angels of mercy.
For example, someone is in the days/hours of their life and is in pain. They may reach the maximum amount of morphine normally considered safe for pain relief, but they are still in pain.
When someone has days/hours to live, there's no point in fretting about whether it's safe to give someone more pain relief, but there is much to gain from helping someone to be comfortable.
There is no proof that more pain relief means that person dies sooner because we can't compare it with withholding pain relief from that same person at the same time. We do, however, know that if we jabbed someone in the street with that much morphine, they might not survive the experience.
I struggle with the concept of palliative care not bringing relief. I'm not sure if that means that some children aren't responding to pain relief, or whether it means they've reached the safe limit which isn't working.
Perhaps in the Netherlands they are now transparently doing what doctors in the UK covertly do, and that is give pain relief exceeding normal dosage in the final days/hours/moments of someone's life.
I thought donor organs had to be appropriately sized. A new-born's lungs wouldn't be big enough for your rich client, therefore I doubt the veracity of your story.
And if you were born like that, or as a child permanently injured, your parents would move heaven and earth to stop that pain, even if the only way was to end life itself.
Never ever been faced with a situation like this, for which I am deeply and profoundly grateful, except with beloved pets and then it was a no-brainer to stop their pain.
A broken leg or being disable do not qualify.
A broken leg or being disable do not qualify.
Sentient beings (beings who have mind and fear death) have been migrating from life from beginningless time creating causes that are certain and driving by ignorance, hatred and greed, desire is actually suffering bound up in time. Once the causes seeds are sown when the conditions arrive they ripen.
We all wouldn't have this suffering rebirth if we hadn't created the causes, all creatures live for as long as they have merit. Interfering in the karma's of others is stupidity.
my different perspective
A broken leg or being disable do not qualify.
If we say it's a person's destiny to die naturally and without the option of euthanasia, then does that mean we should leave an elderly person to die on the floor if they've had a fall and can't help themselves?
I'm not sure it quite works as a spectrum of intervention because taking someone's life via euthanasia is not the same as intervening to save someone's life.
Perhaps we can play around with this idea and see where it leads.
Sentient beings (beings who have mind and fear death) have been migrating from life from beginningless time creating causes that are certain and driving by ignorance, hatred and greed, desire is actually suffering bound up in time. Once the causes seeds are sown when the conditions arrive they ripen.
We all wouldn't have this suffering rebirth if we hadn't created the causes, all creatures live for as long as they have merit. Interfering in the karma's of others is stupidity.
my different perspective
How is our own karma affected according to how compassionately (or otherwise) we care for others in this life?
As an aside, if you have the time and inclination Rob, I have another blog I'd value your learned opinion on. It's the one about jury selection in capital cases.
Sentient beings (beings who have mind and fear death) have been migrating from life from beginningless time creating causes that are certain and driving by ignorance, hatred and greed, desire is actually suffering bound up in time. Once the causes seeds are sown when the conditions arrive they ripen.
We all wouldn't have this suffering rebirth if we hadn't created the causes, all creatures live for as long as they have merit. Interfering in the karma's of others is stupidity.
my different perspective
Ending lives in hospital is done when too much morphine is given to patients who are dying anyway. It appears it makes less pain and sleeping away.
Palliative care keeps one out of pain and nurses seem to have more time for each patient than in hospitals.
As for children ending life
The world changes so fast now , i am in the slow lane and will stop there.
It's quite another when it means that your whole village gets wiped out because one tried to escape to South Korea. And anyone who even descends from that village will forever be a marked man. You are personally to blame for the collective even if you weren't even born.
Ending lives in hospital is done when too much morphine is given to patients who are dying anyway. It appears it makes less pain and sleeping away.
Palliative care keeps one out of pain and nurses seem to have more time for each patient than in hospitals.
As for children ending life never thought about that , so glad i will never have to make that decision.
The world changes so fast now , i am in the slow lane and will stop there.
I've just had a wee google and 'palliative care' can mean different things according to country, or organisation. It may, or may not include the location where care is given, treatment and medication relief, just medication relief, social/psychological/practical support. etc.
I'm still wondering whether in the UK we effectively and covertly offer the kind of euthanasia that the Netherlands has openly legislated for, i.e. we give as much medication as is necessary to bring relief even if that may contribute to death.
Or, are there some cases where no amount of medication brings relief and administering more will definitely cause death within a very short time frame of minutes, or seconds?
My mum, despite being unconscious still showed signs of some pain at times. She'd frown periodically in her unconscious state and I eventually worked out it occurred at the same time as a faint noise from her bed. It turned out that the mattress was designed to inflate and deflate to minimise bed sores and discomfort. I had already requested that the nurses stop turning my mum as it caused her horrible pain; I argued that given she had days/hours to live, bed sores were somewhat irrelevant. I had to override the NHS tick box protocol (designed to ensure patient care) for that to happen and likewise, I was offered the choice to turn off the mattress if I thought it was in my mum's best interest.
What I wasn't offered at that point was more medication for my mum. That hadn't occurred to me until now.
It's very difficult to read Rob's comment and not question whether it implies that some children deserve to die in agony over days, or that some parents deserve to watch it. I don't know if his comment meant that, or whether I'm looking from a perspective that's ignorant of Buddhism.
As yet, there have been no other religious perspectives, which is interesting in itself. It's a difficult subject to reckon with.
Death is a natural occurrence. Sometimes God allows a person to suffer for a long time before death occurs; other times, a person’s suffering is cut short. No one enjoys suffering, but that does not make it right to determine that a person should die. Often, God’s purposes are made known through suffering. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.
This is a very controversial topic to discuss, so it's up to those to make their own decisions to prefer life or death.
Life is God's gift not to be forsaken.
Death is a natural occurrence. Sometimes God allows a person to suffer for a long time before death occurs; other times, a person’s suffering is cut short. No one enjoys suffering, but that does not make it right to determine that a person should die. Often, God’s purposes are made known through suffering. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.
This is a very controversial topic to discuss, so it's up to those to make their own decisions to prefer life or death.
Life is God's gift not to be forsaken.
If god has created us with the ability to provide pain relief to terminally ill children, is that not a blessing?
I think you might have misunderstood my view, even though I don't think I gave it.
It's bad enough to lose a loved one through death but to have a terminal disease steal our good memories as well.. I would be in favour of having the option.
Palliative care includes adequate pain control...there are lots of options...but when death is inevitable...and life has no quality...euthanasia is an appropriate option...planning ahead is key but when faced with a person who is already incapacitated without a medical decision plan in place or dealing with a child...hard to make that decision...
I have already made a plan regarding being hospitalized...DNR...the choice has been made...
She believed no parent in their right mind would sacrifice their own child and no god in their right mind would ask.
The priest told her she couldn't be a pick-and-choose Catholic.
She replied, "Yes, I can."
Where do you draw the line between acceptable medical intervention and interfering with karma?
You certainly would not murder the person (doesn't matter what age) reciting mantra would be best.
Please take stock of what your saying. It does not matter what age the dying person is DO NOT DISTURB from my side your expressing an emotion that relates to your feelings, has nothing whatsoever to do with the well being of a dying person.
Don’t think of Buddhism as some kind of narrow, closed-minded belief system. It isn’t. Buddhist doctrine is not a historical fabrication derived through imagination and mental speculation, but an accurate psychological explanation of the actual nature of the mind.
Please Jac contact centre near you; check up because your making karma's even just discussing the subject:
Address: 250 Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF5 1GZ, United Kingdom
Hours: Closed · Opens 10?am
Phone: +44 29 2022 8040
You certainly would not murder the person (doesn't matter what age) reciting mantra would be best.
Please take stock of what your saying. It does not matter what age the dying person is DO NOT DISTURB from my side your expressing an emotion that relates to your feelings, has nothing whatsoever to do with the well being of a dying person.
Don’t think of Buddhism as some kind of narrow, closed-minded belief system. It isn’t. Buddhist doctrine is not a historical fabrication derived through imagination and mental speculation, but an accurate psychological explanation of the actual nature of the mind.
Please Jac contact centre near you; check up because your making karma's even just discussing the subject:
Address: 250 Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF5 1GZ, United Kingdom
Hours: Closed · Opens 10?am
Phone: +44 29 2022 8040
Also if people are compos mentis and choose to end their lives at places such as Dignitas does that make them guilty of a crime.
This is an extremely delicate subject as you well know and thankfully something that I have never or hope never to have to deal with .How long do you consider keeping a life support machine going as it would appear from comments you would consider that wrong as it would be the medical profession making the decision .
Where does one draw the line.
Also if people are compos mentis and choose to end their lives at places such as Dignitas does that make them guilty of a crime.
This is an extremely delicate subject as you well know and thankfully something that I have never or hope never to have to deal with .How long do you consider keeping a life support machine going as it would appear from comments you would consider that wrong to switch it off as it would be the medical profession making the decision .
Where does one draw the line.