NHS launches investigation after midwives told there is 'benefit' in marriage between cousins
A document has claimed that there were some risks to the health of children from a close relative marriage, but they should be “balanced against the potential benefits”
An investigation has been launched after it was revealed that NHS midwives were taught about the "potential benefits" of cousin marriage, despite it causing an increased risk of birth defects.
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Official midwifery guidance labelled concerns about the risks of birth defects as "exaggerated" and "unwarranted" because 85-90 per cent of children born to cousins are not affected.
It claimed that there were some risks to the health of children from a close relative marriage, but they should be “balanced against the potential benefits”.
Those benefits, according to the document, are economic, emotional, and social.
The average rate for children born with a birth defect is 98 per cent.
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Shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew told The Times: "This is absolutely bonkers and has no place in our NHS. Our midwives should be focused on protecting women and babies, not normalising practices that carry well-documented risks.
"Cousin marriage is not safe and healthcare professionals should never be encouraged to downplay or normalise it."
NHS England launched its investigation into the document after it was publicly released on Sunday via a Freedom of Information request, adding that it would remove "inappropriate wording".
Marriage between first cousins is legal in the UK, but there has been growing scrutiny over the health of babies born to these couples.
One document used to help midwives in training said that “discouraging cousin marriage is inappropriate” and would be “alienating and ineffective”.
It added that the practice of cousin marriage is “perfectly normal” in some cultures, and these marriages could provide “financial and social security at the individual, family and wider kinship levels”.
The NHS said: “The NHS absolutely recognises the genetic risks of consanguineous relationships, and where people consider entering into them, we offer referral to genetics services so individuals understand the risks and can make informed decisions.
“We are investigating if this inappropriate wording is in any guidance or training, and if so, we will take steps to remove it.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “The medical science and evidence is clear. First cousin marriages are high risk and unsafe, and we know the genetic defects and harm they can cause. We are working with the NHS to look into how this guidance was developed and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”