Consanguineous Marriages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Prevalence of the risk factors of the medical and genetic disorders in F1-generation of parents having consanguineous marriages increases with the passage of time. It is a big challenge for our society to compete this situation. To control them, it is necessary to get complete information of their prevalence and their risk factors. The main objective of this study was to know the consanguineous marriages in relation with their frequency among different age groups, and its main medical and genetic affects, malformations, transmittance of the existing genetic diseases. Two studies were conducted in different areas of the Lower Dir and Bajaur Agency, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan where they are dominant. Data were collected from 300 and 123 consanguineous married couples from the areas,through questionnaire comprised of information about complete history and risk factors. According to these results,the couples having genetic disorders like anemia,obesity and thalassaemia;however,non-genetic disorders, bone diseases,depressive illness and respiratory diseases.Such communities may require comprehensive genetic education,premarital genetic counseling programms for awareness and education.