Groningen Protocol
The Groningen Protocol is a set of guidelines dealing with the euthanasia of infants who are terminally ill and suffering. It was included in the 2006 Dutch euthanasia legislation.
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History
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The Groningen Protocol was proposed by a group of doctors at the University Medical Center Groningen in 2004. It was designed as a framework for the active euthanasia of terminally ill infants.
Conditions
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The conditions of the Groningen Protocol are that the infant must have no prospects for a future and be under severe suffering, that the infant cannot be cured of her illness, that the parents must consent, that an independent doctor who has not treated the child must approve and that the process must be carried out with an emphasis on aftercare of the family affected.
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Passive Versus Active Euthanasia
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Passive euthanasia is the process of removing treatment from a terminally ill infant and allowing him to die. Active euthanasia under the Groningen Protocol covers instances where, under parental consent and other conditions, a doctor can administer a fatal overdose to a terminally ill child who is under severe suffering.
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