MORE INFANT DEATHS LINKED TO COUSIN MARRIAGE THAN SUBSTANCE ABUSE
More baby deaths are linked to incestuous marriage than substance abuse in pregnancy, The Telegraph can reveal.
Close relative marriage was a contributing factor to 73 deaths or the ill-health of children less than one year old in 2023/24 – equivalent to 3.7 per cent of the total deaths analysed, analysis of the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) found.
That was higher than the 27 deaths linked to substance misuse in pregnancy in the same period.
A further 55 deaths of children aged between one and 17 were linked to close relative marriage.
Earlier this week, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, urged the NHS to apologise for publishing guidance that said first-cousin marriage had potential benefits.
The Genomics Education Programme had claimed first-cousin marriage was linked to “stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages”.
The practice of first-cousin marriage, particularly prevalent among people of South Asian heritage, is legal in Britain but increases the risk of children having genetic diseases. It has been linked to the oppression of women and also has a proven increased risk of genetic disease in offspring of first-cousin relation.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: “We didn’t used to have this problem. It’s been neglected for far too long for fear of confronting the costs of mass migration.
“The practice of first-cousin marriage was banned in Norway last year, and is also banned across most US states. It’s time the UK came in line by outlawing this practice that has dangerous and damaging implications for many, particularly vulnerable girls and women.
“It’s not acceptable to allow first cousins to marry. It increases the risk of birth defects, and places vulnerable people at risk.”
Richard Holden, the Tory MP leading calls for the Government to ban first-cousin marriage, added: “Behind every one of these deaths is a number of preventable human tragedies.”
The health implications of marriage between first cousins are coming under increased scrutiny in the UK and across Europe, with babies born to such couples having a higher likelihood of suffering genetic disorders.
Majority of Britons opposed to first-cousin marriage
According to a YouGov poll carried out in May this year, 77 per cent of Britons say first-cousin marriage should not be legal, with nine per cent believing the law should remain as it is.
Banning first-cousin marriage is popular across the main parties, with 76 to 77 per cent of Labour, Lib Dem and Tory voters opposed to the practice, as well as 82 per cent of Reform UK voters.
In contrast, cousin marriage is more common among some South Asian minority communities in the UK, with a Born in Bradford study finding that 46 per cent of mothers from the Pakistani community in three inner-city wards in the city were married to a first or second cousin.
A poll of ethnic minority Britons found that 39 per cent of British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis say cousin marriage should be legal, although 47 per cent of this group still say the practice should be prohibited.
Separate data show that newborn deaths due to congenital anomalies, proven to be a risk associated with having children with cousins, are high among the Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations.
Some 52 per cent of all newborn deaths in the population are linked to congenital anomalies, compared to 29 per cent among white Britons, according to figures from Office for National Statistics. This figure increases to 56 per cent for Pakistani or Bangladeshi mothers born outside the UK.
The NCMD figures highlight that 73 deaths were linked to cousin marriage in 2023-24, but in only six cases was it considered a “modifiable factor”.
A modifiable factor is considered to be when “a locally or nationally achievable intervention, be modified to reduce the risk of future deaths”, according to NCMD guidance from 2023.
“Consanguinity itself should not be considered a modifiable factor. Access to culturally competent genetic services is what is potentially modifiable,” the guidance notes.
“It is unacceptable to discourage close relative marriage in a blanket way. This is not appropriate given the level of risk since 90 per cent of children born to consanguineous families will not be affected by a genetic condition.”
The figures show that, in the same year, just 14 deaths were linked to alcohol misuse and 79 due to the mother’s age, while 208 were due to smoking during pregnancy.
The Government was approached for comment.
2025-10-04T15:05:20Z
