The Netherlands has announced a change in its euthanasia laws, allowing doctors to end the lives of terminally-ill children aged between one and 12 years old. The Dutch Government has altered an existing protocol to broaden euthanasia regulations, a move that doesn’t require parliamentary approval. This comes as authorities have received many requests from some Dutch doctors to lower the age limit of 12 for euthanasia, along with discussion within the cabinet. According to the Dutch government, the “end of life for this [age] group is the only reasonable alternative to the child’s unbearable and hopeless suffering”. The new regulation will apply to a small group of five to 10 children a year, who are suffering unbearable pain, and palliative care isn’t providing relief. The latest change in regulations is not unprecedented, as Belgium became the first country to pass legislation to allow euthanasia for young children in 2014.