Sperm Bank Taken To Court After Mom Who Picked '6ft Donor' Gives Birth To Baby With Dwarfism

Nov 05, 2019 by apost team

A Moscow sperm bank website has been blocked in Russia by the court after a client of the sperm bank gave birth to a baby with dwarfism. The woman had been searching images of donors on the site, and she chose sperm from a donor who was over six feet tall.

According to The Mirror, the woman chose the man based on his height, hair color, complexion and education. Since she was over 40 years of age, she believed that this was the only way she could have a child safely.

The patient's name has not been revealed to the media. She underwent an in-vitro fertilization procedure at a Moscow clinic after she chose the donor online. The procedure was a success, but, during later stages of pregnancy, a test revealed that the unborn child was suspected to have a rare disease called achondroplasia.

apost.com

In court proceedings, it was revealed that achondroplasia is a disease that afflicts one out of 20,000 children, and one of its symptoms is dwarfism. The disease is only 20 percent hereditary as it usually develops due to random mutations in fetuses during conception or pregnancy.

After the baby was born, doctors confirmed that the child had the disease. They told the mother that her child would grow to an adult height of approximately four feet. Because of the disease and unusual growth, the child's facial features and limbs would not develop normally.

The patient has said to The Mirror that she took the case to court in order to let other prospective mothers know about the risks to their children. The court ordered that the website, a sperm bank company named Cryos located in Denmark, would be blocked in Russia. People who try to access the website within Russia will be considered to be disregarding Russian law.

Health experts have criticized information supplied by the sperm bank to the court. There is some doubt about the validity of the information about the sperm donor's genetics, family history and physical health.

The sperm bank claims that donors are thoroughly screened for genetic abnormalities that could result in birth defects. The company says that it maintains high-quality standards, but mistakes can happen at clinics that administer the fertilization procedures. The clinic that impregnated the mother did not make any comment on the matter.

Do you think the clinic or the sperm bank was at fault in this case? Let us know your thoughts, and send a link to your friends so that they can get involved in the discussion.