Marrying First Cousins

Walaikum assalam,

Marrying cousins is permitted in Islam. There is no real medical evidence that marrying a first cousin will lead itself to any weakening the gene-pool.

See, for example,

http://www.usatoday.com/news/healthscience/science/2002-04-04-cousins.htm
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f96/ottenhei.html
http://www.discover.com/june_02/feat_kissing.html
http://www.cousincouples.com/info/facts.shtml
http://www.babymed.com/docs/english/782.asp

04/04/2002 - Updated 01:49 AM ET

Research downplays risk of cousin marriages

By Richard Willing, USA TODAY

Marriage between first cousins, long a major legal, social and religious taboo, is far less likely to produce abnormal children than is commonly believed, a study by leading genetics researchers says.

"Stigma still attaches to these unions," says Robin Bennett, a genetics counselor at the University of Washington and the study's lead author.

"But there's no good social or biological reason that should be. There's a lot of misinformation out there that is really holding back some cousins who want to try to have children," Bennett says.

Bennett's team, which included researchers from Stanford University and the National Society of Genetic Counselors, spent more than two years studying health statistics on the offspring of first-cousin marriages in North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The researchers concluded that children of marriages between cousins inherited recessive genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease, in 7% to 8% of cases. For the general population, the rate was 5%.

The study suggests that doctors and genetics counselors not discourage cousins from procreating. Instead, it says, they should take family disease histories and offer ordinary genetic services such as fetal and newborn disease testing.

The study is in the April edition of the Journal of Genetic Counseling.

Despite the findings, some genetics specialists say they will continue to urge caution.

"A 7 to 8% chance (of genetic disorder) is 50% greater than a 5% chance," says Philip Reilly, geneticist and author of Abraham Lincoln's DNA, a popular history of human genetics.

"That's a significant difference. People counseling first cousins who want to marry need to be very careful and clear on this," Reilly says.

Scientists say there are at least 5,000 diseases caused by inherited mutations called recessive genes. Possessing a single copy of the mutation is often harmless, but if a copy is inherited from each parent, the result can be death or chronic disease. Because first cousins share a pair of grandparents, the chances are greater that each will pass a copy of a "bad gene" to their child, triggering the disorder.

Cousin marriage has been widespread in rural societies, where it serves to keep money and property within families. The practice is still popular in much of the Muslim world, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Genetics researcher Alan Bittles estimates that 20% of marriages worldwide are between relatives who are first cousins.

Genetics counselors say there are no exact figures for the USA, but experience suggests that about one marriage in 1,000 is between first cousins. Jewish and Christian traditions discourage cousin marriage. The Roman Catholic Church requires cousins to get special permission before they marry.

In Brooklyn, N.Y., a rabbi maintains a database that allows Jews to see whether a potential marriage partner carries the recessive gene for Tay-Sachs, a fatal enzyme disorder that is prevalent in Jewish families.

Thirty states do not permit first-cousin marriages.

Marrying A Cousin
http://www.babymed.com/docs/english/782.asp
Is this a problem?

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My cousin and I are in love and we want to marry and have a baby. Is this going to be a problem?

A: About 1/2 of all states in the US prohibit marriage between cousins. You can check HERE which states allow cousin marriage and which do not.

Besides this, a task force has recently looked into the medical issues of cousin marriage.

Task Force Releases Guidelines on Advising First Cousin Couples Regarding Genetic Defects

SEATTLE, WA -- April 3, 2002 -- After more than two years of research, a task force funded by the National Society of Genetic Counselors and made up of genetic counselors, physicians and epidemiologists centered at the University of Washington, announce the first comprehensive set of guidelines for consanguineous couples, such as first cousins, who are contemplating having children.
Just published in the current issue of the Journal of Genetic Counseling, the guidelines provide recommendations to physicians and genetic counselors on counseling and advising these couples.
To develop the recommendations, the authors completed a significant literature review of all studies published in English in the medical literature, and some additional materials. The article was developed by a task force headed up by lead author Robin Bennett, president-elect of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and senior author Dr. Arno Motulsky, professor emeritus (active) of Medicine and Genome Sciences at the University of Washington and a pioneer in medical genetic studies.

"Because of widespread misconceptions about the actual level of risk to offspring, some of these pregnancies are terminated and couples suffer a lot of needless anxiety," said Dr. Bennett. "Cousins concerned about a pregnancy arising from their union have often found it difficult to get accurate information about risks to their offspring oftentimes because of social stigma or laws prohibiting marriage between first cousins in 30 states."

The authors estimate the additional risk amongst consanguineous couples above the base (general population) risk for significant birth defects including mental retardation or genetic disorders, is from 1.7 to 2.8 percent for first cousin unions. From her experience in genetic counseling at the University of Washington Medical Center, Dr. Bennett believes these numbers are far lower than most people's perception of the risks.

The consensus of the task force concludes that beyond a thorough medical family history with follow-up of significant findings, no additional preconception screening is recommended for consanguineous couples. The couples should be offered thorough genetic screening tests that would routinely be offered to other couples of their ethnic group.

"These recommendations become even more important as health care practitioners are seeing more cousin unions in the immigrant population coming to North America from Africa and the Middle East," elaborates Dr. Bennett. "In some of these societies, the authors note, cousin marriages are actually traditionally preferred and quite common -- as high as 60 percent of unions."

Better information and appropriate guidelines are especially needed by physicians and genetic counselors that work with these groups so that more objective and culturally-respectful services can be provided.

The paper also includes guidelines for screening for the recessive genes that can produce offspring with disorders of metabolism or hearing disorders, among others. In many cases, these disorders can be treated if found early in life. In the same vein, the importance of routine, regular early childhood pediatric care, as set out in American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, is emphasized for children of cousin unions.

The authors also note that laws concerning consanguineous couples may eventually change as a result of evidence about actual risks.

SOURCE: National Society of Genetic Counselors
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Revised: 7/27/2002 3:52:16 PM