Role of consanguinity in paediatric neurological disorders

Abstract

Background: A marriage is said to be consanguineous, where the marriages are solemnized among persons descending from the same stock or common ancestor with close biological relations. The aim of the study was to role of consanguinity in paediatric neurological disorders.

Methods: The cases of the present study were selected from various units of paediatric ward in Velammal medical college hospital, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India, over a period of 2 years between Nov-2013 to oct-2015. This is a prospective observational study of 152 children, out of which 83 children were products of non-consanguineous with neurological disorders and 69 children were products of consanguineous marriage with neurological disorders, confirmed by history and clinical examination and correlated with appropriate investigations.

Results: It was found that out of 152 neurological cases admitted, during the study period, 69 (45.3%) of patients were products of consanguineous marriage and 83 (54.6%) were products of non-consanguineous marriage. Out of 69 cases that were product of consanguineous marriage, 27 cases (39.1%) born of second degree consanguinity and 42 cases (60.8%) were products of third degree consanguinity. Out of the 69 cases, 7 (10.1 %) of them had siblings with similar neurological problems. The prevalence of seizure disorder was 27 (17.7%), developmental delay 13 (8.5%), isolated speech delay 2 (1.3%), hearing impairment 5 (3.2%), mental retardation 11 (7.2%), visual impairment 2 (1.3%), ataxia telangiectasia 2 (1.3%) among the products of consanguineous marriage. The above stated prevalence of neurological disorders being slightly higher than that of the products of non-consanguineous marriage.

Conclusions: It is important to prevent hereditary diseases that are associated with consanguineous marriage through public education.