A report shows that in the London borough Redbridge, children of consanguineous couples accounted for 19 per cent of child death cases between 2008 and 2016.
“Chromosomal, genetic and congenital abnormalities”, which are known to occur in offspring of interfamily relationships were identified as the causes of the deaths in a report by the borough’s Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP).
Schoolchildren are now being educated about the genetic dangers of inbreeding, according to the Ilford Recorder. Councillor Elaine Norman, cabinet member for children and young people, said the council was working to reduce the level of consanguineous relationships in the borough but would not elaborate. “It is a very sensitive area and we are handling it sensitively and seeing results. We are obviously going in the right direction.”
Redbridge Council found the high number of deaths of children, some 124 cases, were from a mother and father who were related. Nine per cent of the children who died were from Pakistani families. The group had the highest rates of consanguineous parents, at 50 per cent, according to the report.
Parents known as consanguineous couples, are second cousins or more closely related, and children born from such relationships carry the risk of genetic disorders. Redbridge recorded the highest numbers of interfamily relationships, while the number of consanguineous parents in the borough has increased in the past year.
Gladys Xavier, chairwoman of the CDOP, told the board that “educational programmes” were being funded to create awareness in Asian communities in the area, while schools had been asked to “put greater emphasis on genetics”.
Over 200 child deaths of Redbridge resident children were registered between 2008 and 2016, and Redbridge CDOP reviewed 80 per cent of these deaths as part of the report. Half of the child deaths were Asian, with the highest numbers of deaths (18 per cent) noted in the Pakistani community. Perinatal or neonatal events (37 per cent) and chromosomal, genetic or congenital anomalies (34 per cent) resulted in the greatest proportion of deaths.
Vicky Hobart, Redbridge’s director of public health, tried to downplay the high number of child deaths, saying it “should not be misunderstood”.
“Consanguinity is very common in many cultures and the worry with something like this is that we are dealing with very small numbers. It is important to note trends but we should not read too much into it,” she said.
There were no deaths recorded among Whites or Black African ethnicities, and only 1 per cent among the Arab, Chinese and any other ethnic groups.
Among other causes of child deaths in the borough were preventable factors, including poor health care and untimely interventions, which accounted for 26 per cent of deaths.
A spokesperson for Redbridge Council responded to the report: “Genetic disorders are found in every community, however, communities where cousin marriage is common tend to have more children with recessive disorders.
“Although numbers are small, we have been talking with community members and they have told us that people want better information and services to support families in understanding the issues around cousin marriages and genetic risk. In response, we have made information available which aims to answer some of the most common questions.”
The spokesperson added: “Attitudes do appear to be changing in the younger age groups but whatever the stage of life, genetic information may be valuable as people who are well informed are in a better position to make the right choices for themselves.”
But councillor Joyce Ryan worried that some of Redbridge’s communities were finding it difficult to accept the education the council was offering on the subject.