Reproductive wastage and developmental disorders in relation to consanguinity in south India.

The effect of consanguinity on fertility, reproductive loss and developmental disorders were studied in 156 consanguineous marriages in comparison with 221 non-consanguineous marriages. Although fertility was greater (P less than 0.05) in consanguineous than in non-consanguineous marriages, the number of living children were approximately equal in both groups, on account of increased child mortality in the former (P less than 0.05). The frequencies of abortion and stillbirth were (also) approximately equal in both groups. Developmental anomalies were significantly more frequent (P less than 0.001) among the offspring of consanguineous parents. These results indicate the continued presence of deleterious genes in this population, in spite of the practice of consanguinity over many generations.