Consanguine marriage is marriage between individuals who are closely related. Though it may involve

incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

, it implies more than the sexual nature of incest. In a clinical sense, marriage between two family members who are second cousins or closer qualifies as consanguineous marriage. This is based on the gene copies their offspring may receive. Though these unions are still prevalent in some communities, as seen across the

Greater Middle East The Greater Middle East is a geopolitical term introduced in March 2004 in a paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as part of the United States' preparatory work for the Group of Eight summit of June 2004. The pap ...

region, many other populations have seen a great decline in intra-family marriages.Heidari F, Dastgiri S, Tajaddini N, et al. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Consanguineous Marriage. European Journal of General Medicine erial online December 2014;11(4):248-255. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 4, 2016.

Prevalence and stigma

Globally, 8.5% of children have consanguineous parents, and 20% of the human population live in communities practicing

endogamy Endogamy is the cultural practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting any from outside of the group or belief structure as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relatio ...

. Theories on the developments of consanguineous marriage as a

taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

can be supported as being both a social and a biological development.

Social factors

From a social perspective, the observed inclination to practice consanguinity has been due to advantages to social and financial status. Upholding familial structure and assets, and ease of marital arrangements are valued among consanguineous marriages. Low age and a lack of awareness of the consequences of

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely genetic distance, related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genet ...

are common in consanguineous marriages. Consanguineous marriage is present in every religion, and cannot be accredited to any one religious mandate. Consanguinity is practiced regardless of religious influences and is a result of cultural, historical, regional, and socio-economic factors. A greater number of consanguineous marriages are observed in rural areas compared to urban areas within the same region. This is attributed to the tendency of individuals in rural areas to marry at younger ages, have a lower socio-economic status, and lesser education than those who live in urban areas. Parent's grade of job has also been credited as a factor. In cases of incest involving a child and adult, legislation usually considers it to be a form of

child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in Human sexual activity, sexual activit ...

Epidemiological features

Cognitive_abilities_among_inbred_and_non-inbred_children

Multiple studies have established consanguinity as a high cause for

birth defects A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can range from mild to severe. Birth de ...

and abnormalities. A risk of autosomal recessive disorders increases in

offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by sexual reproduction, sexual or asexual reproduction. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny. This can refer to a set of simultaneous offspring ...

coming from consanguineous marriages due to the increased likelihood of receiving recessive genes from cognate parents. According to population based case-control studies, a higher risk of

stillbirth Stillbirth is typically defined as fetus, fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without vital signs, signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt (emotio ...

is associated with consanguineous marriages. Inbreeding is associated with decreased cognitive abilities in children. Younger ages of marriage are commonly seen in consanguineous marriages, which may account for the increase in

fertility Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate ...

seen in these unions. Chances of postnatal mortality are higher in offspring. The first year holds the highest chance of death due to the risk of autosomal recessive genes. This is also the cause of health complications as children born from consanguinity enter adulthood.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Consanguine Marriage Types of marriage Genealogy Incest Medical genetics Endogamy

Prevalence and stigma

Social factors

Epidemiological features

See also

References

Further reading

External links