Consanguinity and child mortality: The risk faced by families |
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Authors: | Shah Gulzar H Toney Michael B Pitcher Brian L |
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Institution: | (1) Bureau of Surveillance and Analysis, State of Utah Department of Health, USA;(2) Population Research Laboratory, Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology, Utah State University, USA;(3) Office of the Provost, University of Idaho, USA |
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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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Keywords: | Consanguinity Mortality Family Cousin Pakistan |
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