1. SECTIONS:
2. preface & acknowledgements
3. genetics at a glance
4. contacts, support & testing
5. testing & pregnancy
6. newborn screening
7. cancer in the family
8. cardiovascular conditions
9. chromosomal conditions
10. clotting & bleeding conditions
11. cystic fibrosis
12. diabetes
13. fragile X syndrome and other causes of developmental delay
14. haemoglobinopathies
15. hereditary haemochromatosis
16. neurofibromatosis
17. neurological conditions
18. psychiatric conditions
19. genetics in practice
20. emerging genetic technologies
21. glossary

Consanguinity

1. Consanguinity describes a relationship between two people who are related to each other as a result of sharing a common ancestor.
   
2. Consanguineous relationships occur in all population groups but may occur more frequently in certain cultures.
   
3. It is important to be aware that the most common form of consanguineous relationships is between first
   cousins, and in some societies this can account for more than 50% of relationships.
   
4. People who are blood relatives share a greater proportion of their genes than unrelated people, and thus
   potentially have the same mutated recessive gene(s).
   
5. When people are first cousins and there is no family history of a specific condition, or of other consanguineous relationships in previous generations, the risk of them as a couple having a child with a
   genetic condition is approximately 5 to 6% (compared to 3 to 4% for all parents in the general population).
   
6. Risk will increase in societies where there is a multi-generational tradition of first cousin marriages, rendering couples closer in genetic relationship.
   
7. See Contacts, support and testing for a description of particular conditions that are more common in specific ethnic/ancestral groups, and may be relevant when discussing consanguinity.

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