A genetic mutation linked to an increased risk of developing cancer has been passed on to at least 197 children in 14 European countries through sperm donations from a single anonymous donor.
The donor, identified as Number 7069, carried a mutation in the TP53 gene, which heightens the risk of cancer among some of his biological offspring. Some of these children have reportedly died from the disease.
Belgium is among the countries affected, with 11 of the nation’s 33 fertility clinics involved.
Fifty-three children from 38 families in Belgium were conceived using sperm from Donor Number 7069.
Across Europe, 67 clinics were linked to the case. The actual number of children born might exceed 197, as five countries refused to disclose relevant information about births from this donor’s sperm.
The European Sperm Bank in Denmark identified the anonymised donor in November 2023 and reported its findings to Belgium’s Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products, AFMPS.
