Hospital staff advised to stop discouraging first cousin marriages

A UK government-funded board has reportedly instructed hospital staff not to discourage first cousin marriages despite the increased health risks when having children.

The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) allegedly told NHS staff who are involved in the review of child deaths 'it is unacceptable to discourage close relative marriage in a blanket way', as per a report by The Times.

Instead, it advised medical professionals to ensure couples who are first cousins and their families sit down with genetic counselors and be prompted to 'consider arranging future marriages outside of the family'.

"Action at community level may help people to understand and act on [our] advice; but this is only acceptable if information is balanced, non-stigmatising and non-directive," the document continued.

The government-funded NHS monitoring board reportedly stressed the fact there's only 'a slight increased' risk of a child being born with a genetic disorder if born to two first cousins.

And this isn't the first time reports of such instructions have emerged.

NHS staff have reportedly been told to not discourage first cousin marriages (Getty Stock Images)

Previous documents and suggestions

Another paper was also released last year on NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme website citing marriage between first cousins offers 'stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages'.

And earlier this year in January, reports emerged of midwives allegedly being given training materials which didn't just state they shouldn't discourage first cousin marriages, but actually encouraged there being 'potential benefits' to it, as per The Independent.

The training document said close relationship marriages are often 'stigmatised,' but claimed the 'associated genetic risks [to children] have been exaggerated' and even that '85 to 90 per cent of cousin couples do not have affected children'.

However, new data shared by the BBC last year revealed there may be more risky consequences than previously thought.

First cousin relationships carry concerns over increased health risks for babies (Getty Stock Images)

The potential risks associated with children born to first cousins

The study found children born from a first cousin relationship are more likely to have speech and language difficulties, alongside a lower probability of reaching a good stage of development.

A child of first cousins is also three percent more likely to inherit a recessive disorder compared to a child born to two unrelated people.

When he was a backbench MP, in 2024, Richard Holden suggested proposals to outlaw first cousin marriages.

He branded the practice 'damaging and oppressive', and criticized the guidance as turning 'basic public health into public harm'.

He argued to The Times: "First cousin marriage carries far higher genetic risk, as well as damaging individual liberty and societal cohesion."

Concerns lie with potential health risks for the babies who are born to first cousin relationships (Getty Stock Images)

What the NHS has said

Regarding the latest instructions, the Times was told by the NHS it is 'not official NHS guidance'.

A spokesperson for the National Child Mortality Database echoed to UNILAD they 'do not instruct the NHS or its staff on practice'.

They added the guidance - which was first released in 2023 - is now outdated and new guidance is being developed in this area.

The NCMD spokesperson resolved: "The purpose of the National Child Mortality Database is to collect data on deaths and share our findings to improve and save children’s lives.

"We do not instruct the NHS or its staff on practice, except where we either a) make recommendations for professionals to help reduce mortality in children; or b) inform those professionals who have a statutory responsibility to review child deaths of how best to submit information to our database."

An NHS spokesperson told UNILAD: "This report provides further clear evidence on the increased risk of genetic conditions and serious illness that having closely related parents carries, and highlights a worrying number of deaths in more deprived areas.

"With hundreds of children losing their lives in recent years, the NHS is running a small pilot which will test whether nurses with specialist training in these complications could prevent the death of vulnerable babies, targeted in areas where close-relative marriage is prevalent."

UNILAD has contacted the NHS for comment.