Hello and welcome to the Fairfax Cryobank Family Forum!
The forum has a new look and the Fairfax Team is so excited to create the best experience for our users.
To Note:
Private Donor Groups and Private Sibling Connection Groups are now located under the category "Groups". Search the donor number in the search box and you should find exactly what you're looking for!
Questions about your forum access? Email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com
Follow these steps to join a private donor group:
1) Press "Join" at the right of the group
2) Once prompted to confirm your request please list this information so we can verify your information:
Name (under which the vial was purchased)
Email
Clinic Name
Donor number
Child Date of Birth
*If you are looking to start a private group for a PRS donor please email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com with the above information and that you are looking for a PRS group*
If you have any questions about the verification process please email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com
The forum has a new look and the Fairfax Team is so excited to create the best experience for our users.
To Note:
Private Donor Groups and Private Sibling Connection Groups are now located under the category "Groups". Search the donor number in the search box and you should find exactly what you're looking for!
Questions about your forum access? Email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com
Follow these steps to join a private donor group:
1) Press "Join" at the right of the group
2) Once prompted to confirm your request please list this information so we can verify your information:
Name (under which the vial was purchased)
Clinic Name
Donor number
Child Date of Birth
*If you are looking to start a private group for a PRS donor please email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com with the above information and that you are looking for a PRS group*
If you have any questions about the verification process please email forum@fairfaxcryobank.com
Medical Update- Fairfax Cryobank Donor 4315
CLI Moderator
Senior Member
Medical updates provided by Fairfax Cryobank offer the added advantage that they are verified. We can confirm client information, review donor records and provide you accurate information right from the source. Please contact us if there is a medical update you would need to share. Donors can always update their medical history with us and we will share that information with you when it becomes available.
Donor 4315 has a male offspring reported with autism.
What is Autism?
Autism is a behaviorally defined pervasive developmental disorder that affects how a child functions in several areas, including speech, social skills and behavior. Children who have problems in these areas are sometimes said to have an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) because the severity of symptoms varies greatly.
Autism affects about 1 in 68 children in the United States. The rates of diagnosis of ASD are about 10 times higher than in the 1980s, though much or all of this increase may be due to improved awareness and changes in how autism is diagnosed.
Genetically, it is clear that the ASD represent a number of different disorders which have some overlap in features. Genetic inheritance has been strongly suggested by studies of twins and families with multiple affected children. Overall, it is believed that there are many genes involved in ASD along with possible environmental or immunologic triggers. A number of studies have been performed to estimate the recurrence risk in families who already have a child with ASD.
What are the chances for my child?
For half-siblings (as would occur if someone were to use donor 4315) the risk can only be estimated, and may be 5-9%. At the current time, there are no prenatal tests to detect children who will be affected with ASD. Of note, this donor has 13 families reported and this is the first case of medical issue that has been received.
A common question is ‘How do we know it is coming from the donor?’
The simple answer is that we don’t know that for sure. There is no testing we can do at this time to tell us what happened exactly. There are many unknowns about why ASD occurs. Some of the suspected causes include several environmental factors that would be unrelated to the donor. We do know that in families where one child has ASD, another child born is at slightly greater risk than we would expect in the general population. (The general population risk is about 2%). The half sibling risk is about 5-9%. It is because of this increased risk we are sending this notification.
For those with children by this donor, this is worth mentioning to your child’s pediatrician so they can reassure you. A child who is meeting developmental milestones and not showing autistic behaviors in their preschool years has a very low chance of having ASD.
If you have stored semen samples on site with your doctor’s facility or at Fairfax Cryobank you are entitled to a full refund for the cost paid per dose. Any storage account you have with Fairfax Cryobank will remain open unless we hear from you otherwise. Any unused semen specimens qualify for a full refund of what was paid. Incurred shipping or storage costs will not be refunded. If the specimens are stored at your doctor’s office and you do not want to keep the specimens for future use and desire a refund, you must authorize destruction at your doctor’s facility and that facility must send us a letter indicating that they have complied with that request. Only after receiving that letter from the offsite storage facility with your name, donor #, specimen dates (on the vials) including the total number of units destroyed will the refund be generated.
You may keep your specimens and use them in the future if you wish. You may also order more semen units from Fairfax Cryobank if they are available, in order to have a full sibling. Any units of donor 4315 sent from Fairfax Cryobank will require that the informed consent be signed, notarized and returned prior to shipment. A copy of that informed consent is available by contacting Fairfax Cryobank. We encourage you to discuss this medical update with your physician’s office and document any decisions you make about the future use of donor vials that may be stored there. They may wish to use our consent in that discussion and it is available on request. Once signed you would no longer qualify for a full refund on unused specimens. In that case, you could request a 50% refund on only those units stored at Fairfax Cryobank.
Fairfax Cryobank has a genetic counselor available to answer your questions. In addition our staff is available to help process refunds and exchanges as necessary. Please call us at 1-800-338-8407 for more information.
Donor 4315 has a male offspring reported with autism.
What is Autism?
Autism is a behaviorally defined pervasive developmental disorder that affects how a child functions in several areas, including speech, social skills and behavior. Children who have problems in these areas are sometimes said to have an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) because the severity of symptoms varies greatly.
Autism affects about 1 in 68 children in the United States. The rates of diagnosis of ASD are about 10 times higher than in the 1980s, though much or all of this increase may be due to improved awareness and changes in how autism is diagnosed.
Genetically, it is clear that the ASD represent a number of different disorders which have some overlap in features. Genetic inheritance has been strongly suggested by studies of twins and families with multiple affected children. Overall, it is believed that there are many genes involved in ASD along with possible environmental or immunologic triggers. A number of studies have been performed to estimate the recurrence risk in families who already have a child with ASD.
What are the chances for my child?
For half-siblings (as would occur if someone were to use donor 4315) the risk can only be estimated, and may be 5-9%. At the current time, there are no prenatal tests to detect children who will be affected with ASD. Of note, this donor has 13 families reported and this is the first case of medical issue that has been received.
A common question is ‘How do we know it is coming from the donor?’
The simple answer is that we don’t know that for sure. There is no testing we can do at this time to tell us what happened exactly. There are many unknowns about why ASD occurs. Some of the suspected causes include several environmental factors that would be unrelated to the donor. We do know that in families where one child has ASD, another child born is at slightly greater risk than we would expect in the general population. (The general population risk is about 2%). The half sibling risk is about 5-9%. It is because of this increased risk we are sending this notification.
For those with children by this donor, this is worth mentioning to your child’s pediatrician so they can reassure you. A child who is meeting developmental milestones and not showing autistic behaviors in their preschool years has a very low chance of having ASD.
If you have stored semen samples on site with your doctor’s facility or at Fairfax Cryobank you are entitled to a full refund for the cost paid per dose. Any storage account you have with Fairfax Cryobank will remain open unless we hear from you otherwise. Any unused semen specimens qualify for a full refund of what was paid. Incurred shipping or storage costs will not be refunded. If the specimens are stored at your doctor’s office and you do not want to keep the specimens for future use and desire a refund, you must authorize destruction at your doctor’s facility and that facility must send us a letter indicating that they have complied with that request. Only after receiving that letter from the offsite storage facility with your name, donor #, specimen dates (on the vials) including the total number of units destroyed will the refund be generated.
You may keep your specimens and use them in the future if you wish. You may also order more semen units from Fairfax Cryobank if they are available, in order to have a full sibling. Any units of donor 4315 sent from Fairfax Cryobank will require that the informed consent be signed, notarized and returned prior to shipment. A copy of that informed consent is available by contacting Fairfax Cryobank. We encourage you to discuss this medical update with your physician’s office and document any decisions you make about the future use of donor vials that may be stored there. They may wish to use our consent in that discussion and it is available on request. Once signed you would no longer qualify for a full refund on unused specimens. In that case, you could request a 50% refund on only those units stored at Fairfax Cryobank.
Fairfax Cryobank has a genetic counselor available to answer your questions. In addition our staff is available to help process refunds and exchanges as necessary. Please call us at 1-800-338-8407 for more information.