Got a parenting concern? Understanding consanguinity. Denmark is once  AGAIN considering banning cousin marriages due to the prevalence of serious and rare birth defects found in the children born to these muslim couples. According to The Guardian, intermarriage between first cousins doubles the risk that children will be born with birth defects. This is especially true when consecutive generations of first cousins marry. After extensive scientific research, experts believe that nearly 50 percent of Muslims worldwide are the offspring of first cousins. The resurgence of these birth defects is due to the prevalence of first cousin marriages in the Muslim community, particularly among immigrants from Pakistan. Was this baby born skinless because his mum took potent drugs in pregnancy? FYI being born with a sickle cell is considered a birth defect, likewise being AS, your gene is considered defective, marrying anybody who carries an "S" means U could give birth to a person with birth defects. Ruba is open to IVF, which would allow doctors to screen embryos with I-cell disease and selecting healthy embryos to implant in Ruba’s womb.Â. Newborn With Mercury Poisoning Lives for Just Seven Hours After Birth. Most muslims see these marriages as strong, claiming they help join an already tight family. Islamic state allows cousin marriage in Islam , irrespective whether they’re first cousins or the second cousins. For one thing, first cousin marriages have a statistically higher chance of resulting in children with serious birth defects. Though marriage between blood relatives increases the risk of genetic defects in offspring, the practice is banned in only three nations: the United States, North Korea and China. The resurgence of these birth defects is due to the prevalence of first cousin marriages in the Muslim community, particularly among immigrants from … Depending on your health condition, your doctor will prescribe you medication or supplements too.Â, Compulsory and optional pregnancy scans in Singapore. I didn’t want them to put the doubt in my head. “I wanted them to treat it like a normal pregnancy. The disease means children have a one-in-four chance of dying in early childhood and it is incurable. The non-Muslim taxpayers are the ones paying for it. How many of those congenital defects are due to cousin marriages has not been revealed. “If you have this condition where the child is going to die in any case, or even if it doesn’t die soon, it will have debilitating illness, that’s sufficient reason to terminate before the soul enters the body, based on the sayings of the prophet,” Mufti said. The foetus draws its nutrients from what you eat, so it’s important that you’re getting the right fuel in your body. Cousin marriages has been the norm throughout all Islamic recorded history and remains so in Islamic world today. All three of Ruba’s children died because they suffer from I-cell disease, also known as mucolipidosis II. Another factor that distinguishes the Muslim world is the prevalence of cousin marriage. Professor Steve Jones, from University College London, said the common practice in Islamic communities for cousins to marry each other increased the risk of birth defects. Birmingham Primary Care Trust estimates that one in ten of all muslim children born from first cousins in the city either dies in infancy or goes on to develop serious disability as a result of a recessive genetic disorder. Many couples who struggle to conceive often consider alternative solutions. Birth defects in the baby can be very common especially if first cousins marry each other. All three of Ruba’s children died because they suffer from I-cell disease, also known as mucolipidosis II. The report showed that because of Islamic customs and the teachings in the Quran, around half of the worlds Muslim population is the offspring of inbreeding. I mentioned cousin marriage as a likely cause of birth defects in muslim countries because 1. The reason for this is because they are cousins. Can This Common Vitamin Really Prevent Miscarriages and Birth Defects? Sometimes I think people are so lucky, they don’t have to try hard and they get a healthy child, but sometimes those children bring trouble when grow up and so those tests placed on them are different,” Ruba says. According to WikiIslam, in Pakistan, there has been cousin marriage for generations, and according to professor Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen from South Danish University, the current rate is 70%. The bad effects of this type of marriage can go on and on. Cousin Marriages are in our culture since our ancient part. ~ WikiIslam. âMy Family Struggled With Head Lice for 8 Years and Never Againâ, Pregnant Woman Says She Vomited And Had Diarrhoea Over 100 Times After Eating at Eng's Heritage Northpoint City, © Copyright theAsianparent 2021. [211] Repeated consanguineous marriages within a group are more problematic. Consanguinity rates were noted to be higher among parents of newborns with congenital hydrocephalus and neural tube defects than in the general population in some studies. Cousins marriage birth defects made Ruba consider screening and terminating the next pregnancy | Image source: Unsplash. Thatâs when your babyâs bones are rapidly developing. Sadly, the muslim cult's propensity to marry their cousins is becoming a drain on the UK Health Service and should be banned immediately. The same beliefs were not pushed in parts of South Asia and the Middle East, where Islam was the predominant religion and only restricted marriages to the third degree. He grew slowly and was constantly visiting the hospital with chest infections. Ruba’s family concluded that they were unlikely to have a healthy child and have tried to persuade Ruba that separating and remarrying would mean they would be happier having healthy children with someone else.Â. When he reunited with his wife and child 7 months later, he remarked that Hassam looked like a normal baby. After 10 years of marriage, she is worried that she will not be in a happy marriage again, even if she was with someone who could have healthy children. Children of cousin marriages may have increased risk of genetic disorders and child mortality. Through fertility treatments, doctors can also screen for any possible diseases in the embryos. The report showed that because of Islamic customs and the teachings in the Quran, around half of the worlds Muslim population is the offspring of inbreeding. However, he advised her to consider the views of her community in her decision. 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But Ruba and Saqib both said no to the suggestion. However, the waiting list is long and Ruba said, “if you wait for something for a long time then it’s more tempting to try naturally”. An Islamist ‘New World Order’ This is Torture? The report also showed that Muslims are 13 times more likely to have children with genetic disorders than the general population, and they account for just over 3% of all births but have just under a third of all children with such illnesses. The study findings were published online April 4 in JAMA Psychiatry. 173)] In sum, it is permissible to marry first cousins in Islam and there is little harm with that. By discovering if your baby has a disorder like Trisomy 18, you can consult with your doctor what the next best solutions are to prepare for the future.Â. Put differently, a single first-cousin marriage entails a similar increased risk of birth defects and mortality as a woman faces when she gives birth at age 41 rather than at 30. Consanguineous marriage accounted for nearly a third of abnormalities in a study of more than 11,300 babies. ... Medical researchers have demonstrated increased incidence of birth defects in children born to people who have married their cousins. Inbreeding among immigrants is causing a dramatic rise in birth defects, a government minister has warned. The disease means children have a one-in-four chance of dying in early childhood and it is incurable. In 2012, Hassam passed away. Three months after the ceremony, she became pregnant with their first child, Hassam. Born in 2007, Ruba thought he was a normal child. Marriage to a blood relative accounted for nearly a third (31%) of all birth defects in … However, Muhammad’s intermarrying doesn’t end there. “In this life I’m the unluckiest person, but in the next life I will be the luckiest because they were innocent children. I wasn’t going to have an abortion, so I wanted to enjoy the pregnancy,” Ruba explained. They both carry the recessive I-cell disease and having children together highly increases the likelihood that their offspring will suffer from the I-cell condition. But after losing three children and six miscarriages as a result of cousin marriage birth defects, she is now at a crossroads on how to proceed. And those children help you in the next life, because you will be with them.”, Studies have shown that first cousin marriage birth defects are double that of marriages between unrelated partners. Britain is seeing an alarming spike in birth defects, defects they have not seen since the end of the 19th century. Among double first cousin progeny, 41.2 percent of pre-reproductive deaths were associated with the expression of detrimental recessive genes, with equivalent values of 26.0, 14.9, and 8.1 percent for first cousins, first cousins once removed/double second cousins, and second cousins respectively. Did you do these 8 things yet? But after losing three children and six miscarriages as a result of cousin marriage birth defects, she is now at a crossroads on how to proceed.Â. “God only burdens a person with how much they can take. Research about the impact of marriage between first cousins on rates of birth defects garnered much media attention when it was published late last week.  “Cousin marriages is most common in … Let’s make some modest assumptions. Zaynab was first the wife of Muhammad’s adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha, whom the prophet slyly disowned in order to snatch up the man’s ex-wife for himself. The authors found that cousin marriages and maternal age were associated with a significant increase in risk of birth defects. The Muslim Council of America reported that that almost half of all Muslims worldwide are inbred. “Because Muslims’ religious beliefs prohibit marrying non-Muslims and thus prevents them from adding fresh genetic material to their population, the genetic damage done to their gene pool since their prophet allowed first cousin marriages 1,400 years ago are most likely massive,” he states. Moreover, having the right diet is a must to prevent congenital birth defects from developing.Â, Eating more folate-rich foods during the first 28 days of pregnancy reduces the risk of brain and spinal defects in the baby. This practice of inbreeding will never go away in the Muslim world since Muhammad is the ultimate example and authority on all matters, including marriage . Suppose that for 500 of those 750-900 born each year with congenital defects, the cause is cousin marriages of parents who are Muslims in Britain. And in 2013, she also passed away at the age of three. These are: The purpose behind these scans helps gynaecologists to detect if your baby is growing normally and are important to help plan for any unusual detections. Researchers have concluded that the cultural practice of marriage between first cousins is a bigger factor than any other – outweighing the effects of deprivation in parts of Bradford, where the study was carried out. The difficulty of purging this harmful practice will be especially hard because it is an established religious as well as cultural practice in the Muslim community. Marriage customs. | Image source: Shutterstock. Cousin marriages are illegal and prohibited in some countries. Evie SRI is also surprisingly affordable compared to the more well-known IVF treatment. They saw that it was harmful for the creation of the child and its birth” [Adab ad-Dunya wad-Deen (pg. Knowing that a cousins marriage birth defect is likely to result in children with I-cell disorder, do you consider remarrying? One study found that each year 700 babies in the UK are born with genetic disabilities as a result of consanguineous marriage. This uncontrolled meager 0.03 figure is quite reassuring for most cousins, who want to marry. After extensive scientific research, experts believe that nearly 50 percent of Muslims worldwide are the offspring of first cousins. Cousin marriages are illegal and prohibited in some countries. Unfortunately, Inara was born with I-cell disorder and both Saqib and Ruba knew once she was born. But Ruba recognised physical and developmental differences between her son and other babies the same age. In terms of continuous inbreeding of cousins, then it is from the Adab (etiquette) of those before us to avoid this out of fear of birth defects. There is a one-word explanation: Islam. Fertility treatments like In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Evie Slow Release Insemination (SRI) treatment can help double the pregnancy success rate, especially for ladies under 35 years old. Tests revealed that Hassam carried the rare inherited condition that prevents children from developing properly. According to MAdWorld news, Muhammad himself encouraged the marrying of first cousins when he wedded Zaynab bint Jahsh, the daughter of his father’s sister. All rights reserved, Evie Slow Release Insemination (SRI) treatment, Mother Lost 3 Children to Rare Disease and Miscarried 6 Times, Dating and Viability Scan (between weeks 1 to 12), Nuchal Translucency Scan (between weeks 11 to 13), Foetal Anomaly Scan (between weeks 18 to 20). The risk of having a baby with birth defects, usually heart or nervous system problems, is still small but rises from 3% in the general Pakistani population to 6% among those married to blood relative Children of cousin marriages may have increased risk of genetic disorders and child mortality. Distraught, Ruba told Saqib who tried to comfort her and explain that all families go through similar issues and they will get through it together. Ready or not, here comes the baby! However, Saqib does not agree with Ruba and trusts in his faith that Allah will grant them healthy children. Ruba and Saqib discovered the root cause behind their children suffering from I-cell disorder was due to their being recessive I-cell gene carriers.Â. She chalks it down to her parents’ support and her faith that keeps her going. A short video from the National Centre for Medical Genetics & UCD. BBC news reported that 55% of British Muslims are married to first cousins, a tradition that is also common among muslims in other South Asian communities and in Middle Eastern countries. Marriage between cousins is common in the Muslim world and causes major birth defects. She passed away in 2017. This preference for cousin marriages reportedly goes back to the fact that prophet Muhammad married his first cousin, Zaynab bint Jahsh in 627 CE, after he was reportedly excited by seeing her only in a shift when he visited her home unexpectedly to talk to her husband, Zayd bin Haritha, who was the prophet’s adopted son. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now! This problem threatens the entire region and may be a major factor in Muslim terrorism. The troubling reality being referred to is the widespread practice of Muslim inbreeding and the birth defects and social ills that it spawns. There are 97% chances of the baby, free of birth defects in non-cousin marriages. Ruba Bibi was delighted to be a mother at first. Take DHA-rich foods to nourish babyâs growing brain and increase your calcium intake in the third trimester. Their second child, Alishbah, was born in 2010 with the same genetic disorder. Ruba approached a Muslim chaplain, Mufti Zubair Butt, at Leeds Teaching Hospital to ask if screening during pregnancy, and termination if I-cell was confirmed, was acceptable according to her faith’s teachings. In Singapore, there are four scans all women must have at different stages of their pregnancy. The most noticeable physical feature was that his head grew disproportionately to the rest of his body. A single first-cousin marriage has a greater risk of birth defects than the offspring of non-cousin couples of only somewhere between 1–4% (non-cousin couples have about a 3% risk of birth defects). Ruba accepted the connection between her children’s inherited genetic disorders and the marriage between the cousins. He also gave his own daughter, Fatimah, in marriage to his first cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was appointed the fourth rightly-guided Caliph after Muhammad’s death. The cousin-marriage favored in Islam — because you can only trust your relatives — results in many more congenital defects, Think of the number of such defects among Muslims in the West, that cost a fortune to treat. In the end, Ruba became pregnant with a third child, Inara, in 2015 and refused to screen for I-cell disorder.Â. It wasn’t until a meeting with her doctor who identified a stiff hip in Hassam indicated a more serious issue. Although there is a prohibition on incest in Islam, the definition of incest is narrow; marrying a cousin does not qualify. One study estimated infant mortality at 12.7 percent for married double first cousins, 7.9 percent for first cousins, 9.2 percent for first cousins once removed/double second cousins, 6.9 percent for second cousins, and 5.1 percent among non-consanguineous progeny. Ruba Bibi was delighted to be a mother at first. How Ruba has been able to cope with the loss of three children and six miscarriages in the past ten years is unfathomable. One suggestion presented to Ruba and her husband, Saqib Mehmood, is to separate and remarry. New Study: 50% of Muslims Marry Their First Cousin, Causing Birth Defects. The Bradford study was unusual in that a large number of the children were born into Pakistani families, which traditionally encourage marriage between cousins. If the children are not defective, they will still carry more genes in them that might not be good if they would also get married and have their children. And also to bear in mind that she would have to live with the act of terminating for the rest of her life. Despite this epidemic of genetic defects in babies born from consanguineous marriages, there remains a reluctance in many Islamic leaders to acknowledge the full ramifications of marriage between cousins (see below). Sennels points out that cousin marriage was sanctioned by Muhammad and has been going on now for 50 generations (1,400 years) in the Muslim world. Hassam suffered from I-cell disorder due to cousins marriage birth defects| Image source: BBC screengrab. Ruba was 17 and Saqib was 27 when they married. Muhammad himself married a first cousin, and most Muslims take the Prophet’s life as an infallible model. The chaplain advised the while it is acceptable, she needs to think carefully before going through with it.Â. Cousin marriages has been the norm throughout all Islamic recorded history and remains so in Islamic world today. One doctor calculated from the study’s findings that “almost 10,000 children will be stillborn or born with birth defects this year in the United States from first-cousin marriages. There are several steps parents can take to avoid congenital birth defects in children. But the statistics for recessive genetic illness in cousin marriages are overwhelming. A positive association of consanguinity with cleft lip and/or palate, Reproductive Health reported. I learned that if you if you marry a first cousin, the risk of a child developing a birth defect goes from 2% to 5%. When you’re pregnant, you are eating for two people! Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. But, In other words, uncontrolled risk increases by meager 3 per 100 pregnancies. There are 94% chances of the baby, free of birth defects in cousin marriages. The Opinionator. The worldwide study revealed an average of 49.8 percent of all Islamic marriages were between first cousins. Either stay with the husband she loves and not have healthy children, or remarry someone else who can have healthy kids at the risk of an unhappy relationship...which would you choose?