Reported Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes

It is very important you report all pregnancies and births to the bank for a number of reasons. Banks need to monitor the relative fertility of the donor, be informed of the number of reported pregnancies and live births and of any adverse outcome such as birth defects and suspected genetic disorders.

Sometimes the first indication that the donor may be a carrier of a previously unsuspected genetic disease is from a report of a birth defect.

Limiting the number of pregnancies and or births

At present there are no laws or regulations that limit the number of pregnancies allowed from one donor. However medical professionals agree that the number of donor conceived children should be limited. The debate centers around what that number should be and how does the bank actually establish controls.

There are numerous sound reasons why limits need to be established.

We at SpermCenter recommend you ask the sperm bank what those limits are and how they actually control the number. This is important because many women either don’t report their pregnancy or may do so several years later. 

In general the only way to control the number of donor offspring is to limit the number of donor specimens (vials or straws) distributed for insemination.

Most banks have established limits based upon the number of families with children by the donor rather than the actual number born. The limits reported range from 10 to 40 family units per donor. These limits are self imposed and are derived from published guidelines.