Possible teratogenic effects of artificial insemination by donor

Three trisomic offspring conceived by artificial insemination by donor (AID) were observed in a population in which a total of about 400 babies were so conceived. To test whether this excess represented a random fluctuation or a real effect of the AID procedure we surveyed, by questionnaire, a group of women who had born children conceived by AID. A significantly higher number of trisomic offspring were found than expected in a population with the observed age distribution. Further data are needed to test the validity of this observation.