Some 17 adults who were conceived after their mothers were treated in the same Dutch fertility clinic are taking legal action because they suffer from a variety of inherited illnesses, the Volkskrant said on Friday.

They were all conceived at the clinic run by fertility specialist Jan Karbaat who is now known to have himself fathered at least 49 children.

The children, who were not fathered by Karbaat, say that the doctor did not carry out proper checks for inherited diseases on their donor fathers, and are demanding compensation from his descendants. Karbaat died in 2017

According to the donor children’s lawyer Tim Bueters, they are suffering from a range of problems including autism, adhd, rheumatism and lung problems.

‘People like me have become ill because of our donor,’ Nathalie de Jong, who has three different types of rheumatism, told the paper. Her donor father is now known to have suffered from rheumatism.

In total, Bueters is representing 53 people who were fathered by donors at the clinic. Others are claiming compensation for psychological damage and stress, or for the cost of paying for commercial companies to check their dna and search for relatives.

DutchNews.nl has contacted the lawyer for comment.