50 children that were conceived at fertility clinics in Belgium may carry an hereditary gene mutation that is linked to cancer. The news was released by the Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) and Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) during a joint press conference on Friday morning.
52 children in Belgium were conceived sperm from a donor with cancer-causing gene
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On 8 November 2023, the European Sperm Bank in Denmark issued a “rapid alert”, warning that a donor had been identified that was a carrier of a mutation in the TP53 gene. The mutation is known to significantly increase the risk of developing various types of cancer and it is hereditary.
Having been alerted more than a year and a half ago, FAMHP didn’t inform the Federal Health Minister until earlier this week. It has since been revealed that 14 Belgian fertility clinics acquired sperm from the donor. 12 of them used the sperm in fertility treatments between 2008 and 2017.
A total of 37 women were treated using the donor’s sperm. This resulting in the birth of 52 children. They may now be at risk. However, it remains unclear how many of the children have actually inherited the TP53 gene mutation.
The donor is believed to have fathered at least 67 children globally. The authorities are trying to trace the affected families so that they can inform them.