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Published: 10/22/2016
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Religion and science do not approve of marriages between relatives. This is because the risk of having sick offspring is too high .
Meanwhile, history knows many facts of related marriages. They were not always concluded out of love. There were financial and geopolitical reasons for this.
- What does the law say?
- Conditions and reasons for strengthening ties between relatives
- Features of marriage
- Why is marriage between relatives considered undesirable?
- Interesting facts about consanguineous marriages in different countries and cultures
Can first and second cousins get married in Russia and other countries?
At the legislative level, no one will be prohibited from entering into an alliance with their second- and third-degree relative. But there is a law according to which siblings cannot sign. This is regulated at the legislative level, as it is associated with the possibility of children being born with disabilities, as well as genetic diseases.
It is because of this that unions between siblings were prohibited. But the registry office does not require any documents regarding kinship. Accordingly, you can come to the registry office and enter into this kind of union. But if it turns out that you are really brother and sister, then the marriage will be considered invalid.
Marriages between relatives
In eastern countries, a similar practice occurs, and quite often people from the same family, as well as close relatives, marry each other. This is due to saving the family budget. Because in eastern countries it is necessary to pay a huge ransom for the bride. In order to save money, many organize weddings between cousins or second cousins.
In the United States, unions between first cousins are prohibited. However, what is at play here is not a medical point of view associated with the risk of children being born with deformities, but rather social reasons. In our country there is no ban on unions between first and second cousins.
Sister and brother
Conditions and reasons for registering a marriage between relatives
At the insistence of genetic scientists, marriages between blood relatives are prohibited at the legislative level.
The Family Code of the Russian Federation also does not allow marriage between blood relatives, under any circumstances.
In this case, the basis for registering a marriage is not even the woman’s pregnancy.
In fact, marriages between relatives can be registered . After all, when submitting an application to the registry office, newlyweds are not required to confirm or deny the existing relationship.
If a couple hides the fact of their relationship, the marriage will be registered, but then it may be declared invalid.
Marriages between adoptive parents and adopted children are only allowed if the adoption is cancelled.
Is marriage possible between first and second cousins: genetics, consequences
As practice shows, the closer the relationship, the higher the chance of having unhealthy children who subsequently cannot produce offspring. According to studies, it was found that if there is a close relationship, then in 24% of cases a stillborn child may be born, in 34% of cases the baby dies at an early age, the risk of deformities is very high, it is 48%. But this is only the case if two siblings get married.
Research in this area is quite extensive, and the most interesting thing is that, according to scientific research, the risk of having a sick child with a cousin is only 2% higher than the risk of having a deformed offspring in people who are not related in any way. Accordingly, the risk of having a sick baby in such a family is even lower than in women over 40 years old, as well as in families of people who regularly abuse alcohol.
If you are worried about the birth of an unhealthy child, we advise you to contact a geneticist for a special examination. During the examination, blood is taken from two relatives and common diseases are identified, as well as the risk of giving birth to sick children.
Indeed, in some cases it is easier to prevent the birth of a sick child than to suffer for the rest of his life. Moreover, modern medicine is making every possible effort to reduce the population of handicapped children.
Wedding
There is a special formula that allows you to calculate the risk coefficient for the birth of sick children. I agree with research, as well as these calculations, that the likelihood of having healthy children is very high.
Statistics:
- From the connection of a niece and uncle, the percentage of a healthy baby is about 92%
- If cousins enter into a union, then in 93% of cases they will give birth to absolutely healthy children
- Between second cousins, the percentage of births of a healthy child is 95%
- This is exactly the percentage of healthy children that appears in an ordinary family, which is in no way connected by family ties. Accordingly, if first cousins or second cousins get married, the risk of having defective offspring is negligible.
According to these studies, there is absolutely no reason to worry about genetics. If you want to calm your nerves, you can go for a genetic examination.
Unusual wedding
Marriages between second cousins
Marriage between the closest relatives is considered incest . But it is worth considering what genetics says about marriage between a second cousin.
Such family ties are considered distant. Marriages between them are possible and quite common, especially in Muslim countries.
The risk of having a child with anomalies from such a union is quite low. There are chances that a full-fledged baby will be born.
The problem with consanguineous marriage is the possibility of spouses carrying mutagenic genes in a latent state.
It is almost impossible to determine which genes these are. It is also unrealistic to predict exactly what abnormalities may appear in a child.
The risk increases that a woman will not be able to bear the fetus, as well as its fading. Therefore, it is difficult to determine how pregnancy will proceed in a related marriage.
A blood test for HLA antigens helps to assess the genetic similarity of spouses.
During pregnancy, specific diagnostics regarding consanguineous marriage are not carried out.
In 2020, a standard ultrasound and a triple test are performed to exclude gross anomalies of fetal development.
Facts in the history of marriages between relatives
Yes, indeed, there is a risk of giving birth to a child with genetic pathologies, and also some serious diseases. But this risk is not so great, it is only slightly higher than for people who are not relatives.
Interesting Facts:
- Pushkin is the son of his uncle and his second cousin.
- Charles Darwin married his cousin. Moreover, this family had 10 children, three of them died at a young age. The rest of the children were absolutely normal and achieved enormous success in social activities.
- Cleopatra was a daughter born in a marriage between two siblings. The most interesting thing is that in Egypt such unions were not prohibited, and were even welcomed. It was believed that such a race would be the healthiest, purest, and such unions were encouraged in every possible way. The queen was a very beautiful woman, and also preferred connections with her relatives.
- Greta Scacchi was a sex symbol of the 80s. She met her cousin Karl, and he could not resist the girl’s beauty. They entered into a legal marriage and had a son. Later, the incident caused a huge resonance among the public. Because of this, Gretta's career ended. But the son in this family was born absolutely healthy.
- The most interesting thing is that Einstein had a second cousin, Elsa, who later became his wife. As practice shows, sick children are indeed born between siblings, and the risk of genetic deformities is very high. This is actually true, which is why many countries prohibit siblings from marrying, Russia is no exception.
Turkish wedding
In what cases can a marriage be registered?
Based on the country's family legislation, registration of marriage between blood relatives is illegal under any circumstances. Even a woman’s pregnancy in this case is not a reason for marriage.
In reality, a related family union can be registered, since government agency specialists do not ask those getting married for documents confirming the absence of consanguinity. But in the future, if this fact is discovered, the marriage will be declared illegal.
Official registration of a family union between adoptive parents and adopted children is permitted only if the adoption itself is annulled.
How does the church view family ties?
As for the attitude of the church, as well as society, everything is much more complicated here. The attitude of religion towards such unions is somewhat different, depending on religion.
Church attitude:
- In our Orthodox Church, the relationship between cousins used to be considered absolutely normal, and such couples actually got married. After communism came to power, the situation changed significantly. Now, for some reason, such unions are considered sinful, and lovers are not married. Accordingly, the Orthodox Church considers life and marriage between cousins to be a sin. No one in our church will marry such a couple.
- As far as the Quran is concerned, marriages between uncle and niece, cousins, and aunt and nephew are indeed absolutely legal.
- In the Catholic Church everything is ambiguous. Cousins can get married here absolutely normally. In the Protestant Church there are generally no restrictions on unions between first cousins, and marriages between uncle and niece and aunt and nephew are also permitted.
- In Germany, it is a criminal offense for children to be born between siblings. But here there is a risk of the possible birth of sick children, for whom the state is obliged to provide payments.
Marriage between relatives
History of marriages between cousins
There are countless examples in history when marriages between relatives were actively practiced. Moreover, the motives for such actions were more often political or financial than love. Imperial or royal dynasties did not want to see people with other blood in their ranks. That is why marriages between brothers and sisters, aunts and nephews took place quite often, because there were not so many representatives of royal dynasties and relatives had to be married.
History also knows of cases of marriages between relatives due to family beliefs, in which it was believed that money should not leave the family. But only a small number of nationalities had such motives.
There were other reasons for such unusual marriages. Aristocratic families greatly valued their family, their surname, and the arrival of new blood meant almost the collapse of the ideal family. However, in those days a lot of children were born with mental and physical disabilities.
Is marriage possible between first and second cousins: the attitude of society
There is a very large denial of such unions among the ordinary population. Society still has a negative attitude towards such kinship and considers it something indecent or even incest. Although in fact, from a medical point of view, the risk of having sick children is very low in the case of marriage between first and second cousins. Of course, the situation is twofold, because siblings can live close to each other and give birth to healthy children who will communicate quite closely with each other.
Accordingly, in such relationships between cousins, truly family ties arise. There can be no talk of any marriages. But there is a situation where a brother and sister live in different cities and communicate quite rarely. Accordingly, in such cases, when cousins and second cousins meet, feelings may arise between them. Because, in fact, they communicated very little, and there are no family ties between them. They don't feel like family.
Marriage between relatives
Indeed, in our time, people are not yet ready for same-sex marriages, nor for unions between brothers and sisters, even between first and second cousins. In any case, most of these families try not to disseminate information, so as not to observe the negative attitude of friends and neighbors.
Family union between cousins
According to the law, registration of a family union is not prohibited, since this type of relationship is not close. But in scientific, medical and church circles, such families cause a lot of controversy. In addition, relatives of those getting married are in most cases against such unions.
Based on the results of long-term studies, scientists came to the conclusion that the risk of hereditary defects in the tanks between second-degree relatives increases by 2% compared to the average family.
Therefore, if cousins have entered into a marriage, then before planning offspring, it is recommended to contact geneticists to conduct research for the presence of pathologies in future children.
Is it possible to marry your cousin? Marriage between cousins
Russia is not a unique country in this regard; throughout Europe there is also the opportunity to officially legitimize their relations in this case. Consanguineous marriages are prohibited only in some Asian countries and the United States, but not in all states.
In the process of examining potential parents, doctors thoroughly examine the diseases of previous generations. Genetics also determine how strong the relationship between husband and wife is. After carrying out fairly complex diagnostic procedures, doctors determine how high the percentage of children with serious genetic abnormalities is.
Marriages between which relatives are prohibited in Orthodoxy?
According to the modern family code, marriage is not concluded between close relatives (for example, between father and daughter, between grandmother and grandson, or between siblings). However, according to Orthodox canons, not only blood ties are an obstacle to creating a family.
In family law, there is a term “properties of relationships”, which refers to relationships between people that arise as a result of the marriage of one of the relatives (relationships between 2 genera). Due to the fact that, according to religious texts, spouses are one flesh (Matthew 19:5-6), their relatives are considered relatives to each other.
Why is it dangerous to marry blood relatives?
For several decades now, there has been an opinion that marriages between relatives provoke a high probability of encountering the same problem genes.
In this case, we are talking about diseases such as hemophilia, Down syndrome and other diseases.
If, with normal intimacy between two people who are not related to each other, there is a risk of having a child with congenital pathologies and mental retardation, then with consanguinity the risk increases approximately five times.
In addition, according to research by many geneticists, in consanguineous marriages the likelihood of stillbirth increases by a quarter. The risk of premature death at an early age increases by 34%. And the likelihood of deformities and other defects in fetal development increases by 50%.
Geneticists have proven a certain pattern in the frequency of pathologies, congenital diseases, mental and other abnormalities in babies born as a result of incest.
In the study of various hereditary diseases, great importance is given to consanguineous marriages. It has been proven that incest can lead to genetic mutations in the fetus, as well as degeneration of the offspring.
Geneticists' opinions on consanguineous marriages
When formalizing relations between relatives, there is a possibility of a stillbirth, a miscarriage, the appearance of chronic illnesses in children in the future, as well as delayed mental development and speech disorders.
Even a born baby may have body features: too tall or short, high or low weight. Based on these signs, one can suspect the presence of a genetic disease.
A so-called “spoiled” gene may be present in the genetic apparatus of a husband or wife. It can be dominant or recessive. Such a gene will suppress a healthy one.
A damaged section of a DNA molecule can be recessive for many generations and later become dominant. This is precisely the reason why a child gets some kind of hereditary disease.
Marriages between distant relatives
For some, such relationships are unacceptable, but for others they are quite natural. People decided to officially seal their relationship with the bonds of Hymen and spend the best years of their lives together. Well, we’ll talk about genetics at the end of the article. Everything seems to be going great. But many relatives, even if they are second cousins, cannot overcome the moral barrier. They are tormented by questions: “What will people say?”, “Parents will judge us,” “The Church believes that this is a sin.” Therefore, let's look at the situation from the religious side.
The number of sick children = 1.56% (25% if 2 common genes nevertheless collided, which is unlikely). In Japan, where cousin marriage is common in some regions, the risk of disease is only 1.9 percent. If the parents are cousins, 93% of children will be absolutely normal. There is almost no threat to your health, marry for your health.
Questions for the abbot
In the Christian Church, marriages between persons related by blood in a direct line or close collateral lines are strictly prohibited. See Apostolic Canon 19. The Fathers of the Council of Trullo decided to dissolve marriages between cousins (canon 54). The “Eclogue” of the emperors Leo the Isaurian and Constantine Copronymus also contains a prohibition of marriages between second cousins, that is, those who are in the sixth degree of collateral relationship.
I am a deeply religious person, but, nevertheless, I believe that such an excuse is difficult to consider as an exhaustive answer. In my opinion, this is pure hypocrisy! Please justify why we should trust “the wisdom, experience and authority of the holy fathers,” whereas, firstly, the Bible says: “Thou shalt not make for yourself an idol” and, secondly, there are no prohibitions in the same Bible, related to this issue? I, of course, understand that if something is not in the Bible, this does not mean that the Church should be “to taste.” But, nevertheless, in marriages between cousins, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong, because in many countries they are not only allowed, but also encouraged (for example, Egypt). Tell me, in the end, do we believe in God, in the Holy Scriptures, or in the Church and the authoritative Holy Fathers? And if you refer to the wisdom and experience of people, among whom, I have no doubt, you would like to see yourself, please give a complete, informed answer without empty phrases and clichés. Thanks in advance.
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Consanguineous marriages: what are they called and why are they dangerous?
It should be noted that these relationships between people with a similar phenotype in terms of genetic effect are similar to those in which close relatives are. Similar phenotypes are the main factor that influences the frequency of formation of many mental pathologies and conditions.
In addition to kinship relations, a serious prohibition on formalizing a union is the rapprochement of two clans through the union of their representatives. This is similar to blood relationship. Religion implies that upon marriage, a man and a woman become blood relatives.
Some basic genetics regarding consanguineous marriages
Genetics is a stubborn thing. But, nevertheless, general principles always imply exceptions. And 25% is not so little! Especially when you love. Consanguineous marriages? This is a tough question. Many tears were shed, humiliation, doubts, even on the wedding day. But in some nations, half of all married couples are cousins.
In fact, everything is not so scary. At first, the young priest inspires hope with his uncertainty about whether your union with your second cousin is decent. Then, in a medical genetic consultation, the specialist draws your general disease genetic tree, confusing you with some percentages. You understand that this is all nothing compared to the fact that you are truly happy only next to this person, even if he is your relative. Parents are afraid that you will have children with developmental disabilities. It’s scary, of course, but maybe we should believe in the best! Moreover, the manifestation of the disease in your children is just a possibility...
Scientists give examples of the “adverse impact of consanguineous marriages on offspring,” recalling royal dynasties with hereditary anomalies and non-viable children. Doctor of Medical Sciences L.Z. Kazantseva and Candidate of Medical Sciences V.P.
Vetrov academically notes in the article: “The history of the House of Habsburg is characteristic in this regard, where members of the royal family were more than once married to each other: for example, Philip II in his first marriage was married to a cousin, in the second to a niece; his son Philip III is based on his cousin, Philip IV is based on his niece. The descendants of these kings are known to be pronounced oligophrenics, incapable of any activity.” A favorite example among physicians is the extinct dynasty of the Egyptian pharaohs, in which marriages between siblings took place from generation to generation. But even if their dynasty died out precisely for this reason, after all, in their family, consanguineous marriages were the rule! So, one related marriage in a family is not so scary?..
In the women's online magazine "Perfect Lady" Vadim Petrov in the article "Blood Marriage" writes that children from a consanguineous marriage can be normal, healthy and even talented, such as Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln or Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who was born from marriage of an uncle with a second cousin.
And Cleopatra VII, the last Egyptian pharaoh, became famous for centuries with her enchanting voice, charisma and intelligence! She was the first Ptolemaic pharaoh who could speak Egyptian. In addition, she knew eight more languages. The legendary Cleopatra was born from the union of siblings - Pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra V - and, subsequently, also married her siblings.
Today, consanguineous marriages do not occur so often: this is due to globalization, the whole world is open to people. On the contrary, marriages of people of different nationalities are becoming the rule. In Europe and North America, consanguineous marriages do not exceed one percent; in Asia their number is higher, but even here there is a tendency towards their decrease.
And high in the Swiss mountains there are still closed communities where everyone is related to each other! And, imagine, even in multimillion-dollar London and the advanced States, there are religious communities where they marry only “their own”. For example, the purebred Mennonite sect (eight thousand people) traces its origins to a small number of emigrants who arrived in North America in the 18th century.
Now for some scary basic genetics that are definitely worth considering. A person carries about thirty thousand genes. Genes are always presented in pairs—two copies. One comes from the mother, the other from the father. There are dominant genes and recessive ones. A dominant gene, even in the singular, necessarily leads to the development of the disease, since it dominates and suppresses its “healthy” partner. There is, for example, such a rare disease - Huntington's chorea.
A carrier of a recessive gene can be an absolutely healthy person. Live your entire life safely and pass on the defective gene to your children. But as long as the action of the “harmful” recessive gene is suppressed by the normal gene received by the child from the other parent, the disease will not develop. This is why consanguineous marriages are so dangerous: relatives have many similar genes.
This is how many serious illnesses are inherited: deaf-muteness, albinism, diseases of the nervous system, hereditary metabolic diseases. It has also been proven that in the offspring of spouses related by blood, not only the risk of hereditary diseases increases, but also stillbirths, miscarriages, and the birth of children with congenital malformations.
But even if both parents-relatives carry this very altered (with disease) gene that is passed on in their family, their children do not always get a hereditary disease. Since in carriers of altered genes, only half of the germ cells are marked by these changes. It is possible that the embryo will begin to develop from two normal cells: and then the child will be born healthy, since he did not receive the altered gene from his parents. If the embryo develops from a normal cell and a cell carrying the altered gene, then the child will also be healthy, but will become the same latent carrier as his parents.
There is such a thing as the inbreeding coefficient. For uncles and nieces it is 1/8, for cousins - 1/16, for second cousins - 1/32, for fourth cousins - 1/64. The further the relationship, the fewer similar, identical genes in the genetic apparatus of each relative. From which it follows that in a consanguineous marriage, the likelihood of sick offspring directly depends on the degree of relationship between the spouses.
Geneticists classify consanguineous marriages as follows:
1) Siblings, fraternal twins, parents and children are considered first-degree relatives. Relationships between such relatives are called “incest” and are considered illegal. The risk of having a sick child in such relatives is about 60%.
2) An uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, grandfather, grandmother, and stepbrother or sister are considered second-degree relatives. The risk of having a sick child in such relatives is about 25%.
3) Cousin, cousin, step-uncle, step-nephew - third-order relatives. The risk of having a sick child in a marriage with such a relative is 4-6% (provided that there is no history of hereditary genetic diseases in the family, and their ancestors did not have consanguineous marriages). On the other hand, a cousin has a 94-96% chance of having a completely healthy baby.
Incest marriages, that is, marital unions of first-degree relatives (parents and their children, siblings) are prohibited by the laws of most countries. There are usually no legal prohibitions on marriages of more distant relatives, since they are less risky for offspring. In our country, only incest marriages are prohibited, including marriages between half-brothers and sisters (from different fathers or mothers). Marriages along the same line are also prohibited - marriage between children and parents, grandchildren and grandmothers.
PS: In one family, not only the genes of hereditary diseases circulate from generation to generation, but also a complex of genes that determine mental and intellectual characteristics. History knows families rich in people gifted in the field of science and art. For example, forty-six relatives of I.S. Bach were professional musicians. And the great-grandmothers of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin were sisters.
