Belgium has become the first country in the world to permit euthanasia for terminally ill children of ALL ages.
The lower house of parliament passed the bill Thursday with a vote of 86 to 44, and 12 abstentions.
The bill now goes to the country's monarch to sign it into law.
The bill allows children with terminal diseases... to ask to end their lives,... provided they have the consent of their parents and a psychiatrist or psychologist.
The bill had broad support in Belgium, where euthanasia for adults was legalized in 2002.
However, the bill has drawn fierce criticism from religious leaders, saying that children are not mature enough to make such difficult choices.
In the Netherlands, euthanasia is legal for children over the age of 12, with parental consent.
