Overview
- Denmark’s European Sperm Bank distributed the donor’s samples to 67 clinics in 14 countries over about 17 years and says it blocked him once the mutation was identified.
- Clinicians report 23 carriers among 67 tested children, with 10 already diagnosed with tumors and some deaths confirmed.
- Families have been notified, the bank says the donor was unaware of the mutation, and it has contacted Danish and Belgian authorities.
- Country limits on donor use were exceeded in some cases, including Belgium, where 53 children were born to 38 women despite a six‑family cap.
- Experts note TP53 testing is not part of routine donor screening and warn stricter rules cannot fully prevent rare inherited conditions.