Consanguinity and major genetic disorders in Saudi children : A community-based cross-sectional study

Consanguineous marriages are common in many Middle Eastern countries, with first-cousin types being the most common.To cite only a few examples: The reported prevalence of consan-guinity in Jordan was 51.3%; 1 in Qatar, 54.0%; 2 in the United Arab Emirates, 50.5%; 3 and in Yemen, 40%. 4 In Saudi Arabia, reports from Saudi cities such as Riyadh and Dammam indicated prevalence rates of 51.3% and 52.0%, respectively. 5,6However, El-Hazmi et al report-ed the first national consanguinity prevalence of 57.7%, with first-cousin marriages being the most frequent. 7In a more recent survey of a representative sample of Saudi families defined by a multistage random sampling pro-cedure representing both urban and rural settlements,