Overview
- European public broadcasters report the donor’s sperm was used over 17 years at 67 clinics in 14 countries, with the European Sperm Bank blocking the donor in late 2023.
- The mutation is a previously undescribed TP53 gonadal mosaicism present in up to 20% of the donor’s sperm, causing Li-Fraumeni syndrome in affected children.
- Clinicians say some donor-conceived children have already developed cancer and some have died, with early surveillance being offered to identified carriers.
- Regulatory limits were exceeded in several countries, including Belgium, where 53 children were born to 38 women despite a six-family cap.
- Danish and Belgian authorities are reviewing quota compliance and clinic reporting, while clinics and national bodies continue notifying affected families.