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The 2002 Dutch Euthanasia law applies to patients aged 12 years and older. Developments in end-of-life care and decision-making in the last decade have sparked the debate about usefulness and necessity to extend euthanasia to include children under 12 years of age. This paper describes two opposite positions: the affirmative position of a pediatrician and expert in pediatric palliative care and the negative position of a jurist and specialist in health law.

Deliberate ending of life of newborns is an extreme measure that is usually based on hopeless and existing unbearable suffering. There are currently developments that may lead to clarification and refinement of the standards and rules surrounding deliberate ending of life of newborns. This pertains to the phase immediately following the decision to refrain from curative treatment. An important aspect here is that parents and doctors will have to reach agreement on the extent to which the suffering of the newborn can be classified as unbearable. Furthermore, in the case of deliberate ending of life of newborns, consideration must be given not only to current suffering but also the severe suffering that will develop in the near future. The points ofspecial importance that the medical profession had developed in relation to the assessment of future unbearable suffering may provide assistance here and should be implemented.