marrying first cousins?

Lifestyle Relationships
1

Hi Guys,

I would like to ask what you think bout marriage between first cousins?

Is it right or wrong? anyone with experience plz comment? is it wrong genetically for children?

what does It say in Islam about cousin marriages?

2

Re: marrying first cousins?

Islam allows it . Society allows it (Pakistani) . I don't really see anything wrong with it . From a pure medical point of view , I am not 100% sure . Any doctor ( and so many of you reading this I know ) please share a credible paper . Thanks .

3

Re: marrying first cousins?

2 I found using a very quick search - with proper time could find more. Have seen it with my own eyes in the UK the highest rate of rare genetic disorders is amongst the pakistani community. Uk people - many probs watched the really sad tv show about it.

My parents are cousins, many cousin marriages in my family - but to protect my own children I would never do it. My brother was born with feet which were severely twisted - he is now completely normal allhamdoulillah but he required operations upto the age of 10. Whether it was due to cousin marriage i dont know. Obviously I am normal so are many kids of cousins - its not a hard and fast rule.

Islam neither encourages it nor forbids it. But islam does encourage to bring as many families together as possible through marriage - I hope i can find a good quote- need time for that too!

one paper i found below - quote at the end …

Among the parents of patients with rare autosomal recessive disorders the consanguinity rate was much higher than the one of the general population (92.5%). Among the autosomal recessive disorders, which were relatively frequent in the population, there were fewer marriages between relatives; but in most cases the difference from rare disorders is relatively small.

The importance of genetic factors in various congenital malformations, such as neural tube defects and cleft lip/palate or in various forms of infertility, was confirmed by the observation of a significantly higher consanguinity rate in the parents of these patients than is observed in the general population. Am. J. Med. Genet. 68:472–475, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Consanguinity as a Determinant of Reproductive Behaviour and Mortality in Pakistan

=left]ALAN H BITTLES[SUP][/SUP]](http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/3/463.short#aff-1),
=left]JONATHAN C GRANT[SUP][/SUP]](http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/3/463.short#aff-1) and
*=left]SAJJAD A SHAMI†](http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/3/463.short#aff-2)

Consanguinity-associated deaths were consistently higher in the neonatal, infant and childhood periods. The consequences of these outcomes on the health of the present and future generations is assessed.

4

Re: marrying first cousins?

  1. If two people want to get married, I think its absolutely fine. For me it doesnt make a diff if they are first cousins.

  2. In which sense do you mean right or wrong?.. Genetically, you have to understand that if your family has been marrying within family for years, then it is basically your common genes going around. Now if a (most probably recessive) mutation take place somewhere, lets say in Mr. Faisal has a mutation (these can occur from generation to generation). Mr Faisals children will then inherent this mutation from him. Lets say that Mr. Faisals grandchildren marry each other. Then there is 25 % of their children will be sick. Even though Mr. Faisal is not sick and nor are his own children.

So genetically I would say the chances for cousin-couples to have a disabled child is slighty higher than an average non related couple due to the common genes. I think its important to acknowledge this fact, but at the same time there is no need to look down upon cousin marriages.

Lets not forget that these mutations and diseases exist everywhere in world, even in the West, where they dont marry their cousins. An example is Cystic Fibrosis.

  1. Islam says its fine.
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Re: marrying first cousins?

True I recently saw a UK (I think BBC) program about it. There was a family where two sisters were married to two brothers. One couple had normal kids, the other had disabled. What stroke me in the interview was that the couple with diasbled children didnt have the proper understanding of the disease and how it is inherited. Both of them were arguing that, the sickness of the children was due to the medicines provided by the doctors and not by the fact that they are related as their sister and brother had normal children.

I will try to look it up on youtube if someone wanna see it? It was interesting imo.

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Re: marrying first cousins?

http://www.hgc.gov.uk/client/Content.asp?ContentId=741
"One recent media report estimated that British Pakistanis were 13 times more likely to have children with genetic disorders than the general population. Taken out of context, this figure implies that ALL British Pakistanis are equally at risk irrespective of marriage patterns, and fails to clarify that the risk relates specifically to recessive genetic disorders which can arise in cousin marriages. Other types of genetic conditions, including chromosomal abnormalities, sex-linked conditions and autosomal dominant conditions are not influenced by cousin marriage.
The absolute risk to first cousins having a child with a recessive genetic condition is about three in every 100 births, unless they have a family history of an autosomal recessive disorder, in which case the risk may be higher. "

For unrelated couples, the absolute risk is 2%.

The problems the media reports on are in communities where marriages within the family (not always first cousin) are occuring generation after generation.

7

Re: marrying first cousins?

Pakistanis are not the only ones that marry first cousins. So do some Hindu Indians and Bengalis. Even my mom's Italian BFF married her cousin as well. And hey, wasn't Prince Harry dating one of his far cousins as well?

Islam allows it. Allah allows it. And it is only He who ultimately decides what genes and genetic disorders get passed on - whether the couple are cousins or not.

8

Re: marrying first cousins?

Completely true. And statistical analysis shows that He appears to decide more often in the case of first cousin marriages that genetic defects should occur.

It's like how He allows paan and He decides who gets cancer when.... but He does seem to decide that heavy paan chewers should get mouth and throat cancers more often than those who don't have much paan.

9

Re: marrying first cousins?

In the light of possible complications and birth defects, and just the emotional drama that can come out of marrying in your own family, I don't see the point of marrying a cousin when so may other options are available.

Personally I find the concept of marrying a cousin disturbing. But then I was raised in a family where cousins were considered equal to your own brothers or sisters.

10

Re: marrying first cousins?

The first born always comes out funky.

11

Re: marrying first cousins?

I don't quite agree with you. I do recognize the stats, but the OP asked if it were wrong. I believe it is not wrong. If it was wrong, then it wouldn't have happend in the Prophet's SAW family and Allah SWT would have not allowed it.

There are many children with Down's Syndrome and other genetic disorders whose parents are not cousins.

Like I said, He is the One the ultimately decides what is in our fate. Stats can say all they want, but they are just numbers.

12

Re: marrying first cousins?

hmm what if the couple share just one grandparent, will the rik be the same? e.g. they share the same grandmother but different grandfathers.

13

Re: marrying first cousins?

i think I read somewhere that the risks of genetic disorders for cousins who have kids together is far less than other genetic disorders that are passed down genetically like Sickle Cell Anemina, for example.

There will be risks in everything one does. Marrying your cousin or not.

14

Re: marrying first cousins?

Don't do it especially if your parents are also cousins or your grandparents were cousins.

Your kids may or may not be born with a genetic disorder such as Down's syndrome but if you have other diseases in your family such as heart disease, diabetes etc., your kids will be at a very high risk for those diseases.

Also, cousin marriages = DUURRAAAMMMAAA!

15

Re: marrying first cousins?

The risk of rare genetic disorders is hight amongst cousin marriage couples.

The risk of common genetic disorders does not change really.

16

Re: marrying first cousins?

Each family is different and I think if genetic counselling is available to you and you are considering cousin marriage then use that.

Genetic counselling allows doctors/specialists to predict certain risks of certain diseases for each individual case.

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Re: marrying first cousins?

Yeh. If anyone else read my link they would have read that the increased risk posed by cousin marriages for stuff like downs is the same as pregnancy at an increased age.

Stuff like heart disease and diabetes has more to do with ethnicity and then environmental factors i.e. your diet and lifestyle. All desi people have a higher risk of type ii diabetes.

As for rare genetic disorders, if people are marrying within family generation after generation, these will present and then it will be clear the practice should stop within that family.

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Re: marrying first cousins?

^ i agree with stoppit.

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Re: marrying first cousins?

I am posting this reply without reading any comments above (yet).

My nana nani were cousins, their children were alhumdulillah normal. However, my mamu and mumani are cousins (sisters kids got married) and their son (my cousin) was born with sickle cell. He went through many blood treatments and now alhumdullilah he is fine at age 9. However, he has to take a medicine daily till he is 18. Doctors in Canada say it's because of family ties and because his parents were cousins. (Something abt too similar genes etc etc was brought up as well)

Of course we do not know why exactly it happened but drs do say it's because of the cousin marriages... So one if left to wonder...

I do think cousin marriages are cute, but ONLY if the guy and the girl are brought up with some distance. If they're too brotherly sisterly, calling each other bhai/behen then its totally wrong....

20

Agree with stoppit as well. I would say it would be a concern only if there are cousin marriages generation after generation. Otherwise the stats are not much different 2% vs. 3%. Down syndrome has nothing to do with cousin marriage - but mothers age (more common as the women ages).

I agree people should take advantage of genetic counselling. My friend is from Yemen and she said in her family they do go for genetic counselling if they marry cousins.

Passionate - regardless of who you marry cousin or not if they are South Asian the kids WILL have higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.