Netherlands euthanized a toddler? No, it was not an abortion

The case circulating attributes to the Netherlands the first euthanasia of a child nearly 24 months old under a 2024 law for terminally ill children under 12. It is not an abortion: at two years old there is no fetus or pregnancy.

## A child nearly two years old is not a fetus

In the **Netherlands**, a post circulating on X claims that euthanasia has been performed on a child nearly **24 months** old, the first case under the **2024** law for terminally ill children under 12.

An **abortion** interrupts a pregnancy. At nearly **24 months** there is no pregnancy or fetus: there is a born child. Calling it that frames the case, it does not describe it medically. The discussion gains noise and loses precision.

## The Dutch rule of 2024

The euthanasia law in the **Netherlands** dates from **2002** and applied to patients from age 12. The **2024** rule cited by the post extends it to terminally ill children under 12, with medical review and parental consent.

The post claims it would be the first case, without official record or confirmation. That detail is not minor: without verification, the case remains an attributed claim.

## The regulatory cost of the debate

In **health economics**, expanding such a provision requires defining **protocols**, committees and responsibilities. There are no spending figures in the post.

The issue matters because it sets who decides and with what guarantees in a public health system. Any real case requires official verification and professional advice.