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Consanguinity and child mortality: The risk faced by families

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Abstract

Previous research reveals that the characteristics and practices of a child's family are important determinants of its chances of surviving beyond childhood. This study investigates the effects of consanguinity on a family's odds of experiencing the death of a child in Pakistan, a society in which marriage among close relatives is common. Analysis of data from the 1991 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey reveals that first cousin marriages increase a couple's risk of enduring the death of one or more of their children. These couples are 1.18 times as likely to have a child die by its fifth birthday than couples not related by blood net of other factors associated with child mortality. Elimination of first cousin marriages would contribute to a modest decrease in the proportion of Pakistani families suffering the death of a child.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bureau of Surveillance and Analysis, State of Utah Department of Health, USA

    Gulzar H. Shah

  2. Population Research Laboratory, Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology, Utah State University, USA

    Michael B. Toney

  3. Office of the Provost, University of Idaho, USA

    Brian L. Pitcher

Authors
  1. Gulzar H. Shah
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  2. Michael B. Toney
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  3. Brian L. Pitcher
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Shah, G.H., Toney, M.B. & Pitcher, B.L. Consanguinity and child mortality: The risk faced by families. Population Research and Policy Review 17, 275–283 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005922704585

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005922704585

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