The Groningen Protocol — Euthanasia in Severely Ill Newborns

Abstract

Drs. Eduard Verhagen and Pieter Sauer state that of the 200,000 children born in the Netherlands every year, about 1000 die during the first year of life. For 600 of these infants, death is preceded by a medical decision regarding the end of life. The question now is whether deliberate life-ending procedures are acceptable for newborns and infants, despite the fact that these patients cannot express their own will.