Breeding with a 1st cousin does not increase the chances of genetic disorders all that much.
Every year an estimated 8 million children--6
percent of total births worldwide--are born with a serious birth defect of genetic or partially genetic origin. Additionally, hundreds of thousands more are born with serious birth defects of post- conception origin due to maternal exposure to environmental agents. At least 3.3 million children less than 5 years of age die annually because of serious birth defects and the majority of those who survive may be mentally and physically disabled for life.
This report from the March of Dimes is the first to provide a global estimate of serious birth defects of genetic or partly genetic origin. It details the birth prevalence rates and the numbers of affected births in 193 countries.
According to a global report on birth defects
which was conducted in 2006, 21 out of 22 countries most affected by birth defects per 1000 live births are Muslim majority countries and the following
countries are the ones most affect by birth
defects per 1000 live births:
1. Sudan 82.0/1000
2. Saudi Arabia 81.3/1000
3. Benin 77.9/1009
4. Burkina Faso 77.0/1000
5. Palestinian territories 76.6/1000
6. United Arab Emirates 75.9/1000
7. Tajikistan 75.2/1000
8. Iraq 74.9/1000
9. Kuwait 74.9/1000
10. Afghanistan 74.8/1000
11. Oman 74.8/1000
12. Syria 74.3/1000
13. Pakistan 73.5/1000
14. Nigeria 73.5/1000
15. Kyrgyzstan 73.4/1000
16. Qatar 73.4/1000
17. Bahrain 73.3/1000
18. Jordan 73.1/1000
19. Libya 73.0/1000
20. Tunisia 72.7/1000
21. Morocco 72.3/1000
22. Yemen 72.1/1000
Inbreeding which involves marriage between cousins is an islamically valid and approved practice.
Inbreeding is a major cause of birth defects in children so its very likely that the whole cousin marriage thing has a huge role to play in recorded high rates of birth defects in Muslim countries.
