Is Euthanasia of Newborns with Disabilities next?

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Anna Farrow wrote an article that was published by the Western Standard on January 3, 2026 titled: Canada's Chilling Next Step - MAiD for babies.

Farrow explains how the disturbing concept of euthanasia of newborns was introduced into Canada's euthanasia debate:

Most Canadians disagree strongly with the concept of euthanasia for babies. We know this because every time the topic comes up, the public’s response is one of instant horror. So why does it keep coming up?

The issue first surfaced in 2022 when Louis Roy of the Quebec College of Physicians (CMQ) appeared before Parliament’s Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). The committee was examining plans to expand MAiD beyond terminal illness to cover cases of mental illness as well as to accommodate advanced requests and mature minors. But Roy’s advocacy went even farther. He also suggested MAiD could be considered for “babies from birth to one year of age” who are born with severe deformities or disabilities.

Farrow continues:

The public response was immediate shock. On CBC Radio, Liberal Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough snapped, “There is no world where I would accept that.” The reaction was sufficiently negative that even pro-life activists assumed it was a dead-end issue.

This past September, however, several international media stories on Canada’s MAiD program have re-ignited the baby MAiD debate. A long feature in the magazine The Atlantic headlined “Canada is Killing Itself” compared Roy’s baby euthanasia proposal to the policies of Nazi Germany — an argument that caused instant outrage among pro-MAiD lobby groups. Then the British newspaper Daily Mail asked the CMQ for an update on its stance and was told the organization now believes “medical assistance in dying may be an appropriate treatment for babies suffering from extreme pain” and that “parents should have the opportunity to obtain this care for their infant.”

Farrow writes about the fact that the most recent Canadian euthanasia data indicates that in 2024 there were 16,499 euthanasia deaths with 76,475 recorded deaths from legalization until December 31, 2024.

Considering that we are now in January 2026, There has likely been at least 94,000 euthanasia deaths since legalization.

Farrow explains that, in the Netherlands, the Groningen protocol has been in place for many years, a protocol which permits euthanasia of newborns with disabilities.

Canada continues to debate euthanasia for mental illness alone.

In 2021, when Canada expanded its euthanasia law by passing Bill C-7, that legislation permitted euthanasia for mental illness alone, meaning that mental illness was the only criteria for approval. The issue of euthanasia for mental illness remains very contentious, which is why the previous Liberal government delayed the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness alone until March 2027.

Currently Canada is debating a private members bill (Bill C-218) that is sponsored by Tamara Jansen (MP) Bill C-218 would reverse the section of the law that will permit euthanasia for mental illness alone starting in March 2027.

Bill C-218 debate (Article Link).

As for euthanasia of children, the parliamentary euthanasia committee released a report in February 2023 calling on the extension of euthanasia in Canada to mature minors.

I responded to the February 15, 2023 (AMAD) report by stating:

The report by the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (AMAD) was tabled in the House of Commons on February 15, 2023 calling for a drastic expansion of euthanasia (MAiD) in Canada. Among the recommendations, the report recommended that euthanasia be expanded to include children "mature minors."

Recommendation 19 in the report stated:

That the Government of Canada establish a requirement that, where appropriate, the parents or guardians of a mature minor be consulted in the course of the assessment process for MAID, but that the will of a minor who is found to have the requisite decision-making capacity ultimately take priority.

This means that parents or guardians may or may not be consulted, in the euthanasia death of a child that is deemed to have decision-making capacity.

To understand Recommendation 19 better we need to go back to the draft policy developed by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto on euthanasia for "mature minors" that was published as a report in the Journal of Medical Ethics in September 2018.

• Article: Sick Kids Hospital Toronto will euthanize children with or without parental consent (Link).

Sick Children's hospital draft policy applied the same "ethics" for mature minors to make medical decisions as for making a decision to be killed.

Euthanasia for mature minors is one issue but euthanasia of newborns with disabilities can only be described as eugenics.

Sadly, once killing by euthanasia becomes a legal option the law will continue to expand. There is only one ethical line in the sand, that being, it is illegal to kill. Once killing is OK the only remaining questions are: who can do the killing and for what reasons.