The Impact of Consanguineous Marriages on Child Health in Egypt: Cultural Practice or Health Risk?

This study investigates the impact of consanguinity on child wellbeing by measuring a key indicator, the Height for Age Z scores, which account for chronic malnutrition. Utilizing nationally representative data from the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, the study employs an OLS regression model to analyze the relationship between different types of paternal and maternal consanguinities on HAZ scores. The study controls for region fixed effects to examine the effects of household dynamics in consanguineous unions. The study also performs heterogeneity analysis to examine how maternal education and wealth status interact with different types of consanguinities and how their effect on HAZ scores changes. The findings reveal a statistically significant negative association between consanguineous unions, particularly paternal first cousin marriages, and child HAZ scores, highlighting the increased risk of stunting in the offspring. Moreover, higher maternal age and institutional delivery are found to mitigate these adverse effects. The study underscores the importance of integrating genetic counselling and targeted maternal educational programs within the realm of public health. Importantly, the study advances the understanding of household and kinship dynamics in Egypt, which provides valuable insights to policymakers aiming to improve child outcomes in culturally sensitive contexts.