Consanguineous Marriages: Effects on Pregnancy Outcomes in Pakistan

Abstract

Being a traditional and close-knit society, Pakistan has a substantial portion of the population who have consanguineous marriages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the socioeconomic and demographic factors behind consanguineous marriages and their effects on pregnancy outcomes. Secondary data of 13,558 married women, as provided in the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2012-13), was utilised to conduct this research. The results demonstrate that women who are poor, uneducated and belong to the least developed regions of the country, are significantly more likely to be in consanguineous marriages. There is a higher prevalence of miscarriages, abortions and stillbirths in such marriages as compared to non-consanguineous ones. Therefore, there is a need to create public awareness on the adverse health impacts of consanguineous marriages.