Consanguineous matings in the Egyptian population

SUMMARY A total of 26 554 Egyptians was ascertained to study the incidence of consanguineous marriages. They were of different ages, different socioeconomic standards, and from different areas. There were 7646 from urban areas, 11 280 from suburban areas, and 7628 from rural areas. The incidence of consanguineous matings in the general population was found to be 28-96 % with an average inbreeding coefficient of 0-010, which could be considered high. The highest incidence was that in the rural areas. First cousin marriages occurred more often than the other types of consanguinity. Two persons are said to be consanguineous if they have at least one ancestor in common and, in practice, this common ancestor is usually taken to be no more remote than a great-great grandparent. The association between consanguineous marriages andl genetic defects has been observed for a long time. The diseases observed in the offspring of these marriages include those resulting from autosoma