From The Guardian:

Cousin marriages cited as significant factor in Bradford child deaths

Fatal genetic conditions more common in children of south Asian heritage, study says

Nazia Parveen, North of England correspondent

@NParveenG

Fri 15 Feb 2019 11.37 EST

Marriage between cousins leading to fatal genetic conditions remain a factor in a significant proportion of child deaths in Bradford, according to a safeguarding report.

The report by the West Yorkshire city’s child death overview panel found that consanguineous relationships led to deaths from genetic and congenital abnormalities.

The report, published annually by Bradford children’s safeguarding board, reviewed 69 child deaths. These included 29 that occurred in 2017-18, 33 in 2016-17, and seven that took place in previous years.

More than two-thirds of these deaths, 67%, involved children under the age of one, most of whom died within 28 days.

Children of south Asian heritage were overrepresented in the figures compared with the population of the Bradford district, according to the report, with 45 (65%) of the children being of south Asian background. Those of south Asian heritage comprise 37% of Bradford’s under-18 population.

Thirty of the 69 deaths (43%) were categorised as chromosomal, genetic and congenital anomalies, conditions that are more common in families with parents who are related.