To be disturbed by wilfull ignorance around genetic inbreeding?

[M9009]

I've come from a country were cousin marriage and indeed marriage to any close relative if illegal.
I've recently started working in a dialysis unit and I'm so disturbed by how many parents are young children born of first cousin marriage. Usually from South Asian backgrounds.
Today I was speaking to one parents who has 9 children, all in need of kidney transplants. The eldest 2 have already had theirs. Parents are first degree cousins and each have various medical problems of their own.
Why, as a society, do we allow these marriages? It seems so cruel to the children who are born with medical and genetic problems.
Maybe I'm easily shocked, I don't know.

The education of adults who will plan marriages for their children in the future is very worthwhile.

@M9009 is it true that a kidney transplant only lasts about 8 yrs?

There have been some articles in press but it’s not particularly high profile.
I understand one of issues is the multi generational nature. So a one off cousin marriage might be ok, but 2 or 3 generations doing it and it often results in health issues or learning difficulties for the children. I think it’s Kirklees where there is a very high rate and the population hail back to a very small area in Mirpur so the genes from a very small area and repeated cousin marriage over several generations is the issue..
When I had my dc with a disability the Dr actually commented he was used to seeing birth defects with people like him not people like you (Dr was Pakistani heritage I’m white) when we attended Dc’s genetics appointment they had an interpreter automatically in room.

It is crazy and we should ban first cousin marriage, I cannot think of a single reason why it should remain legal

A colleague of mine got married just over a year ago. His fiancé had the same surname so I asked if it was a fairly common surname where he’s from. I was quite surprised when he said she’s his cousin. Thankfully I was able to hide it.

They ve a little one now and everything sees fine with her so far. I hope she grows up healthy.

The reason it wasn't banned is that labour heartlands practice cousin marriage. There are labour MPs who are the products of cousin marriage (I'm not joking). They don't want to render their fans illegal. It's revolting.

Would we not just be extending the current consanguinity laws?

10-15 if you're lucky. So these kids will take maybe 50 organs from the market in their lifetimes.

The Royal Family being a prime example. Around here they at least count the number of fingers and toes before they allow marriage.

Certainly in Luton and in a few other areas locally, there are community organisations trying to get the word out that cousin marriage is a Bad Thing. It would be better if it came from official NHS sources as well, but the sort of people who need to hear this message are more likely to listen to unofficial sources than the NHS.

I think the issue is that first time first cousin marriages are normally ok. The issue is when say bill and Wendy you are first cousins, and Marty, they have a brother Bob and sister Joan each, also first cousins also marry. Then in order to keep the wealth in the family bill and Wendy’s son married Bob and Joan’s daughter and so it goes on

Not sure if you missed it but the NHS literally issued guidance about how great cousin marriage is for fostering family relations.

The problem isn’t a one off cousin marriage in Pakistani community — often first cousin marriage goes back generations and it’s really common for couples to share the same genological lines. Things are changing — young, educated UK born Pakistanis are marrying outside of the family now — but the parts of the community where this is an actual problem is, like anything, poor.

Yes, it's also crazy people still are banging on about discussing this being racist or a racist stereotype. It's actually more racist to argue that imo - what like all brown people from s Asia are the same and have just 1 culture? There's so many different tribes and mini cultures and orthodoxy of religion plays a massive part. First cousin marriages are more common in stricter Muslim families and families who don't live in large communities so don't have a large dating pool. Saying that, it's also a financial thing too. I think its like 60% of all marriages in Saudi are cosanginous. Super high in Egypt too. So not just a Pakistani thing. But I appreciate a lot of our communities practising this in the UK are prob Pakistani

Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have been doing a massive educational drive for almost 15 years. They make people get genetic testing before they get a marriage license! And if the couple test high, they do genetic counselling and try and persuade not marrying or marrying and not having kids. Or abortion for health reasons if the imam say its ok. Or having kids anyway but getting them genetic tested and treated early on before the (if treatable) genetic diseases can cause intellectual or physical disability or other health issues.

I think Labour aren’t doing what’s right. You can make it illegal and educate people too.

Instead of raising smoking from age 16 to 18 they could have just educated young people not to smoke but it’s obviously much more effective with a ban.

I don't remember the tories trying to ban it over the 15 years they were in power.

I don't understand what the fuss is about. Charles II of Spain's parents were close relatives and he turned out fine.

I would’ve thought this is less common now than in say, the 70s/80s/90s when there were more first gen and people were more ignorant anyway of inbreeding

Not this again. You’ll find at least one previous long, vituperative thread about this. A one-off first cousin marriage doubles the risk of something wrong with the child around the same as having a baby over the age of 35. Significant issues arise with repeated cousin marriage within a community. It’s on the wane.

Bloody hell. I winder why they didn't stop at one child knowing the risks and that those risks had resulted in a disabled child and may well happen again? Is that careless and cruel behaviour?

I thought it was illegal here so every day is a school day for me!

I think it is selfishness and greed especially when they have dc with health problems and disabilities and society has to pick up the tab

Yanbu.

I think anyone that knowingly breeds with their 1st or second cousin, should sign a waiver that protects the NHS and subsequent health services, from the financial burden that any inbreeding may bring.

Why should the NHS foot the bill when the risks are well known and documented. The people that choose to reproduce with their cousins knowing these dangers, should be made to foot the bill.

It’s utterly grim. Makes me feel ill.

However, the NHS believes it’s a great thing so… 🤷🏿‍♀️

Yes they should use their pooled family wealth to pay for the treatment