British Baroness Calls for "Vigorous Campaign" Against Muslim Cousin Marriages to Decrease Infant Deaths and Serious Birth Defects

In March 2010 a British Baroness reopened a highly controversial public debate. She has called for a "vigorous" public campaign to deter marriages between first cousins in the UK's muslim community.

The Times of London reported that Baroness Deech wants to highlight the UK's problem with birth defects suffered by the babies and children of such marriages. As many as 75% of Pakistanis in one northern English city, Bradford, are married to their first cousins.

British Pakistanis account for 3% of births in British each year but for 33% of the 15,000-20,000 children born each year with genetic defects.

A study into the excess mortality of babies born through inbreeding at first cousin level found it ran at 4.4%. (See footnote.)

Baroness Deech, who is a prominent family lawyer, advocates the use of tests for genetic defects when marriages are arranged between first cousins. She also believes a register of people carrying genetic diseases should be established so that arranged marriages may become less likely between carriers. A third suggestion is that married first cousins could be enouraged to use in-vitro fertilisation so that the embryos they produce could be tested for recessive diseases.

Birmingham is another city where babies and children are badly affected by cousin marriages. Figures show that 10% of all babies born to first-cousin parents either die in infancy or childhood or suffer serious genetic disorders.

Across Britain, government-funded research has shown that British Pakistanis are 13 times more likely to have children with genetic disorders than the rest of the British population.

Baroness Deech stopped short of saying first cousin marriage should be disallowed however.

"Human rights and religious and cultural practices are not respected by banning cousin marriage" she said "but those involved must be made aware of the consequences."

However, since babies in the muslim community are so heavily affected it is hard to argue that the community is unaware of the consequences. Deech herself notes that marrying close relatives goes on for financial reasons - to pay debts or offer support to relatives abroad -, to help relatives come and settle in the UK, or to give a familiar family of in-laws to a spouse arriving from overseas. In that context, an education campaign may have little effect.

Nevertheless, Deech argues that a campaign is necessary to "highlight the risks and preventative measures

Deech is re-opening a highly controversial debate already suppressed twice in Britain in recent years. Five years ago a Labour Member of Parliament, Ann Cryer, denounced first cousin marriages as 'medieval' and called for them to be made illegal. Two years ago, government minister Phil Woolas also attempted to raise the issue, pointing out that serious birth defects were rising.

On both occasions accusations of racism and cultural insensitivity were immediately levelled against those who spoke out. The UK government moved to suppress debate directly. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman rebuffed Woolas, saying that the issue was not something ministers should comment on.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article7069255.ece

Author: Frances Gibb

(1.)Bittles, A.H.; Neel, J.V. (1994). "The costs of human inbreeding and their implications for variation at the DNA level". Nature Genetics (8): 117-121

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In March 2010 a British Baroness called for a "vigorous" public campaign to deter marriages between family members in the UK's muslim community.

Baroness Deech wanted to highlight the UK's problem with birth defects suffered by the babies and children of such marriages. As many as 75% of Pakistanis in one northern English city, Bradford, are married to their first cousins. British Pakistanis account for 3% of births in British each year, but 33% of the 15,000-20,000 children born each year with genetic defects.

A study into the excess mortality of babies born through inbreeding at first cousin level found it ran at 4.4%.

Baroness Deech, who is a prominent family lawyer advocates the use of tests for genetic defects when marriages are arranged between cousins. She also believes a register of people carrying genetic diseases should be established so that arranged marriages may become less likely between carriers. A third suggestion is that married first cousins could be enouraged to use in-vitro fertilisation so that the embryos they produce could be tested for recessive diseases.

Birmingham is another city where babies and children are badly affected. Figures show that 10% of all babies born to first-cousin parents die in childhood or else suffer a serious genetic disorder.

Across Britain, government-funded research has shown that British Pakistanis are 13 times more likely to have children with genetic disorders than the rest of the British population.

Baroness Deech stopped short of saying first cousin marriage should be disallowed.

"Human right and religious and cultural practices are respected not by banning cousin marriage" she said "but those involved must be made aware of the consequences."

However, since babies in the muslim community are so heavily affected it is hard to argue that the community is unaware of the consequences. Deech herself notes that marrying close relatives goes on for financial reasons - to pay debts or offer support to relatives abroad -, to help relatives come and settle in the UK, or to give a familiar family of in-laws to a spouse arriving from overseas. In that context, an education campaign may have little effect.

Nevertheless, Deech argues that a campaign is necessary to "highlight the risks and preventative measures

Deech is re-opening a debate had in Britain several years ago when a Labour Member of Parliament, Ann Cryer, denounced first cousin marriages as medieval and called for them to be made illegal. Then two years a government minister, Phil Woolas, also attempted to raise the issue, pointing out that serious birth defects were rising. On both occasions accusation of racism and cultural insensitivity were levelled against those who spoke out. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman rebuffed Woolas, saying - scandalously - that the issue was not something ministers should comment on.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article7069255.ece
Author: Frances Gibb

Footnote: Bittles, A.H.; Neel, J.V. (1994). "The costs of human inbreeding and their implications for variation at the DNA level". Nature Genetics (8): 117-121.