Abdulraheem Taofeeq Abolaji2026-04-202026-04-202025Volume 10, No. 1https://uilspace.unilorin.edu.ng/handle/123456789/17491The best interests of a child are a fundamental principle under the Nigerian Child Rights Act, 2003, requiring consideration in all decisions affecting a child’s healthcare. Similarly, Maqasid al-Sharia (the higher objectives of Islamic Law) contains robust provisions for child protection. Despite this framework, an under-five mortality rate still stands at 102/1,000. This article compares how the Child Rights Act 2003 and the Maqāṣid Sharīʿah operationalise the "best interest of the child" in medical decisions. The article employs a doctrinal method, which includes analyses of primary and secondary data. It is found that twelve (12) northern states show Sharīʿah adoption cut infant deaths by 36% and raised vaccination uptake 30%, yet 1.3 million under-fives remain partially immunised where parental refusals persist. The article concludes that both legal frameworks- through the CRA’s judicial override provision and Maqāṣid’s imperative of hifs al nafs (protection of life) provide authoritative grounds for authorising life-saving medical treatmentenHealthcarechildbest-interestNigeria