Latest news with #VincentKarremans
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
More than 1,200 mothers and 900 children impacted by Dutch fertility scandal
A popular Dutch fertility clinic used sperm from dozens of donors far more than the 25 permitted times for over a decade, affecting hundreds of children and mothers. One of the Netherlands' largest fertility clinics, Medisch Centrum Kinderwens (MCK), used sperm from at least 36 donors many more times than permitted between 2006 and 2017, Dutch news outlet Nos reported, affecting more than 900 mothers and 1,200 children. Dutch youth minister Vincent Karremans said it was an 'appalling' case which would understandably lead to anger and questions from those affected. 'They are now confronted with the news that their children belong to a larger kinship network than they had expected or wanted. The children appear to have more half-brothers or -sisters than thought,' he said in response to questions from Nos. 'And the donors appear to have more offspring than they themselves thought. I can imagine that this can have a major impact on each of them.' In April, Nos's current affairs programme Nieuwsuur shocked the Netherlands when it revealed that Dutch fertility clinic practices had resulted in at least 85 mass donors. A mass donor is someone who has more than 25 offspring, which was the maximum limit permitted by the country's professional association of gynaecologists until 2018, when the limit was reduced to a maximum of 12 families per donor. MCK confirmed it had 36 mass donors, and blamed previous management for ignoring the guidelines. In a statement to Nos, MCK director Wouter van Inzen blamed the number of mass donors on a donor shortage and high demand from mothers, as well as the 'desire for multiple children from the same donor within one family'. Current management took over in 2015 and ended the practice in 2017, but Mr van Inzen said the clinic decided not to approach the donors and parents involved in the issue 'in consultation with the professional group'. The Donorkind Foundation, an advocacy group, said: 'Prospective parents are nothing more than paying customers, donors are a kind of raw material and donor children nothing more than products'. Priamos, the sperm donors' association, said the clinic's actions were "irresponsible and unscrupulous". Donors were asked from 2006 whether they wanted to donate for 25 families, rather than 25 children, and their contracts allowed a certain number of children to be conceived in other countries. Priamos said while those contracts were in breach of the rules, all the donors the association spoke to thought donating to 25 families was permitted. 'We are not aware of any donor who was made aware that the rules were being violated. Donors do not need to know the rules either. They can assume that they will be treated fairly by the clinic,' the association told Nos.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
More than 1,200 mothers and 900 children impacted by Dutch fertility scandal
A popular Dutch fertility clinic used sperm from dozens of donors far more than the 25 permitted times for over a decade, affecting hundreds of children and mothers. One of the Netherlands ' largest fertility clinics, Medisch Centrum Kinderwens (MCK), used sperm from at least 36 donors many more times than permitted between 2006 and 2017, Dutch news outlet Nos reported, affecting more than 900 mothers and 1,200 children. Dutch youth minister Vincent Karremans said it was an 'appalling' case which would understandably lead to anger and questions from those affected. 'They are now confronted with the news that their children belong to a larger kinship network than they had expected or wanted. The children appear to have more half-brothers or -sisters than thought,' he said in response to questions from Nos. 'And the donors appear to have more offspring than they themselves thought. I can imagine that this can have a major impact on each of them.' In April, Nos's current affairs programme Nieuwsuur shocked the Netherlands when it revealed that Dutch fertility clinic practices had resulted in at least 85 mass donors. A mass donor is someone who has more than 25 offspring, which was the maximum limit permitted by the country's professional association of gynaecologists until 2018, when the limit was reduced to a maximum of 12 families per donor. MCK confirmed it had 36 mass donors, and blamed previous management for ignoring the guidelines. In a statement to Nos, MCK director Wouter van Inzen blamed the number of mass donors on a donor shortage and high demand from mothers, as well as the 'desire for multiple children from the same donor within one family'. Current management took over in 2015 and ended the practice in 2017, but Mr van Inzen said the clinic decided not to approach the donors and parents involved in the issue 'in consultation with the professional group'. The Donorkind Foundation, an advocacy group, said: 'Prospective parents are nothing more than paying customers, donors are a kind of raw material and donor children nothing more than products'. Priamos, the sperm donors' association, said the clinic's actions were "irresponsible and unscrupulous". Donors were asked from 2006 whether they wanted to donate for 25 families, rather than 25 children, and their contracts allowed a certain number of children to be conceived in other countries. Priamos said while those contracts were in breach of the rules, all the donors the association spoke to thought donating to 25 families was permitted. 'We are not aware of any donor who was made aware that the rules were being violated. Donors do not need to know the rules either. They can assume that they will be treated fairly by the clinic,' the association told Nos.
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Sperm Donors Fathered More Than 25 Children Each, Netherlands Data Reveals
Somewhere in the Netherlands, there are men who have unknowingly fathered dozens of children through sperm donation. At least one man has sired up to 125 children. Those are the startling conclusions of a national registry to track the number of sperm donors in the Netherlands. Initial data from the registry, released this week, identified 85 mass donors: men to whom more than 25 descendants can be traced. The data revealed that children born via artificial insemination may have a larger number of half-siblings than the Dutch government previously thought, raising concerns about consanguinity and the risk of genetic anomalies, as those children eventually seek partners and have children of their own. In a letter submitted to the Dutch Parliament on Monday, Vincent Karremans, the minister for youth, prevention and sport, said that poor oversight and record-keeping by fertility clinics had led to mass donation, sometimes resulting in more than 25 children per donor, without the donor's knowledge. A new law, passed on April 1, requires more careful tracking of how sperm donations are used. 'I deeply regret that these excesses have been discovered,' Mr. Karremans said, offering support to the parents who were clients of those clinics, whose children may have dozens of half-siblings. Vincent Karremans, the Dutch minister for youth, prevention and sport, said that poor oversight and record-keeping by fertility clinics had led to mass sperm donation. Credit... Tobias Kleuver/EPA, via Shutterstock Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
