By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
A Danish sperm donor who unknowingly carried a rare genetic mutation linked to increased cancer risk fathered nearly 200 children worldwide before the defect was detected, Denmark’s public broadcaster DR reported on Wednesday.
The European Sperm Bank first learned of the issue in April 2020 after a child conceived with the donor’s sperm was diagnosed with cancer and found to have a TP53 mutation.
Although the bank tested a sperm sample at the time, the mutation was not detected, and sales, briefly paused – resumed.
The case resurfaced in 2023 when another child developed cancer. Further tests then confirmed that the donor, identified only as “Kjeld,” carried the rare mutation in some of his sperm cells despite showing no symptoms. His sperm was permanently withdrawn in October 2023.
Between 2006 and 2022, the donor’s sperm was sent to 67 clinics in 14 countries, resulting in at least 197 children, including 99 in Denmark.
The bank said the mutation, present only in a small fraction of his sperm, could not be picked up by routine screening and stressed that not all children conceived with his sperm are affected.
It also noted that while some European countries cap the number of children per donor, no rules exist for cross-border donations. The European Sperm Bank introduced a 75-family limit per donor in 2022.
(AFP)
