TY - JOUR
T1 - A study of possible deleterious effects of consanguinity
AU - Abdulrazzaq, Y. M.
AU - Bener, A.
AU - Al Gazali, Lihadh Ibrahim
AU - Al-Khayat, A. I.
AU - Micallef, R.
AU - Gaber, T.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - The aim of the study was to determine whether consanguineous marriages result in reproductive wastage and an increased incidence of illness in the offspring in a community with a long history of inbreeding and an expected high rate of consanguineous marriage. A representative sample of 2200 women aged ≤ 15 years from Dubai and Al Ain, two cities in the United Arab Emirates, representing on the one hand a modern metropolis and on the other a traditional society, were studied. A questionnaire, which included questions on age, parity, gravidity, number of stillbirths, number of abortions, number of children alive, neonatal deaths and specific illnesses in children, was administered by nurses in antenatal and gynaecological clinics in the two cities. The rate of consanguineous marriage was 50.5% and parity, gravidity, ages and number of children were similar in consanguineous and non-consanguineous groups. There was no significant difference in rates of abortion, stillbirth and neonatal death between the two groups. Overall, there was statistically significant higher reproductive wastage in consanguineous couples, but when the category of less than second cousins was excluded from the consanguineous group no difference was found in reproductive wastage between consanguineous and non-consanguineous marriages. Children born to consanguineous unions also had significantly higher incidences of illnesses (37.1%) than those of non-consanguineous unions (29%). The occurrence of malignancies, congenital abnormalities, mental retardation and physical handicap was significantly higher in offspring of consanguineous than non-consanguineous marriages. In conclusion, consanguinity did not result in reproductive wastage, but was found to be an important factor in the causation of special illnesses in offspring.
AB - The aim of the study was to determine whether consanguineous marriages result in reproductive wastage and an increased incidence of illness in the offspring in a community with a long history of inbreeding and an expected high rate of consanguineous marriage. A representative sample of 2200 women aged ≤ 15 years from Dubai and Al Ain, two cities in the United Arab Emirates, representing on the one hand a modern metropolis and on the other a traditional society, were studied. A questionnaire, which included questions on age, parity, gravidity, number of stillbirths, number of abortions, number of children alive, neonatal deaths and specific illnesses in children, was administered by nurses in antenatal and gynaecological clinics in the two cities. The rate of consanguineous marriage was 50.5% and parity, gravidity, ages and number of children were similar in consanguineous and non-consanguineous groups. There was no significant difference in rates of abortion, stillbirth and neonatal death between the two groups. Overall, there was statistically significant higher reproductive wastage in consanguineous couples, but when the category of less than second cousins was excluded from the consanguineous group no difference was found in reproductive wastage between consanguineous and non-consanguineous marriages. Children born to consanguineous unions also had significantly higher incidences of illnesses (37.1%) than those of non-consanguineous unions (29%). The occurrence of malignancies, congenital abnormalities, mental retardation and physical handicap was significantly higher in offspring of consanguineous than non-consanguineous marriages. In conclusion, consanguinity did not result in reproductive wastage, but was found to be an important factor in the causation of special illnesses in offspring.
KW - Abortion
KW - Birth defects
KW - Consanguinity
KW - Genetic diseases
KW - Neonatal mortality
KW - Reproductive wastage
KW - Stillbirth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030928912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030928912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1997.tb02447.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1997.tb02447.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 9137881
AN - SCOPUS:0030928912
SN - 0009-9163
VL - 51
SP - 167
EP - 173
JO - Clinical Genetics
JF - Clinical Genetics
IS - 3
ER -