Is marriage possible between first and second cousins: genetics, consequences. How do the church and state treat marriages between relatives? The probability of having sick children between births

The situation is really difficult. You are distant relatives to each other, namely fourth cousins, and your parents, respectively, are second cousins. And although your degree of relationship is very distant, seventh, you still came from the same family. The issue of your possible marriage must be considered from several positions: ethical, religious, legal, scientific.

Church position

If you are baptized into Orthodoxy, there are no canonical obstacles to your marriage. Since the 19th century, the wedding of fourth cousins has been permitted without special permission from the bishop, which is required for the wedding of relatives with closer kinship, for example, second cousins, who in practice are also married.

If we talk about Islam, then people baptized in this religion also marry with closer relatives. So, among Muslims, marriage between cousins is possible, not to mention the seventh degree of kinship, like yours.

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Law

The Family Code of the Russian Federation determines restrictions on marriage between relatives in a direct ascending and descending line, which is enshrined in Article 14 of the RF IC. We are talking about parents and children, grandparents and granddaughters, brothers and sisters who have common parents. As for more distant degrees of kinship, the law allows marriage between first cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, etc. brothers and sisters.

Genetics

The issue of your future offspring deserves special attention, because it is known that close relationship between spouses increases the likelihood of autosomal recessive pathology in children. It is believed that the more closely related the child’s parents are, the higher the likelihood of a hereditary disease in offspring in a consanguineous marriage.

Of course, the risk of having a child with a genetic disease or developmental defect in your case is not very high. Everything will depend on whether you are simultaneous carriers of the same mutant genes in a latent state. A geneticist will help you answer this question. You need to seek an in-person consultation with a specialist. At your appointment, they will draw up a pedigree for you, from which they will calculate the proportion of common genes.

As a rule, testing for the genetic compatibility of spouses includes a blood test for HLA antigens. During the period of bearing a child, to exclude gross anomalies of its development, a triple test is carried out, included in the mandatory pregnancy diagnostic program, i.e. well-known pregnancy screening.

Thus, there are no real obstacles to your marriage, provided your families approve of it. And although a consultation with a geneticist will not hurt you at all, the risks of pathologies in your future children are minimized.

Elementary laws of genetics

Charles Darwin was the first to think about issues of heredity. He was married to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. The couple had 10 children. Three babies died in early childhood, others were in very poor health. Darwin had a hard time with each death and illness of his son. He suspected that the reason for the poor health of almost all the children was his relationship with his wife. Later, these thoughts were reflected in the scientist’s works.

Much time has passed since then, and genetics has advanced far in its development. Now geneticists know for sure that each of us has dominant and recessive genes. In relatives, these genes are very similar, which gives a huge chance of getting unhealthy offspring when crossing. And the most dangerous genes are not so much dominant as recessive genes. These are hidden, seemingly dormant signs of one quality or another (not only eye color or leg length, but also various hereditary diseases).

The more different sets of genes are crossed - which is only possible in unrelated marriages - the less likely a child is to get a hereditary disease that is “encoded” in a recessive gene of one of the parents. And vice versa: the closer the relationship between husband and wife, the higher the chances of stillbirth, miscarriage, or the birth of a baby with a mental or physical deformity.

Advice 1: Is it possible to marry your sister in Russia?

Relationships between relatives over several generations are especially dangerous. Over time, the genetic material deteriorates, accumulating mutations and damage, and requires fresh genes to prevent degeneration.

Anyone who has seriously decided to marry his sister and have offspring should prepare to overcome public opinion, excommunication from the church, non-recognition of marriage by the state, misunderstanding of friends and relatives, and visits to geneticists.

Facts in percentage terms

In modern genetics, crossing closely related individuals is called inbreeding. The higher the inbreeding coefficient, the greater the chance that recessive genes for hereditary diseases will occur. So for an uncle and niece it is 1/8, for a cousin - 1/16, for second cousins - 1/32, for fourth cousins - 1/64.

Even if the degree of relatedness is greater, the inbreeding coefficient will still be sufficient for a child in a pair of distant relatives to die in the womb or be born mentally retarded or physically underdeveloped. This percentage ratio and the pattern associated with it were described by Elena Leonidovna Dadali, a geneticist of the highest category, professor and author of many scientific works on genetics.

Distant kinship is also dangerous because the spouses may not even be aware of their blood ties and the presence of an unwanted recessive gene. The birth of a sick child then becomes a complete surprise and a very painful blow to the well-being of the couple. When people marry who do not have any family ties, the percentage of matches of mutant recessive genes is negligible, which is why children are born healthy.

Mutant recessive genes are a very dangerous thing, hidden from prying eyes like a time bomb. They can cause a variety of mutations, ranging from albinism and deafness to such serious illnesses as hemophilia or Tay-Sachs disease. The latter is common in some peoples of the world and is fraught with severe damage to the nervous system. A sick child never lives longer than 4 years.

As is known, representatives of the Russian royal family suffered from hemophilia. But these 2 ailments are only the tiny tip of the iceberg of hereditary diseases that can be caused by the meeting of mutant recessive genes. Only genetic analysis, which is a normal pre-wedding practice in many civilized countries of the world, can prevent it.

The attitude of modern society and the law towards consanguineous marriages

The opinion that the closer the parents are in blood relationship, the mentally and physically weaker their offspring, has existed for more than a decade. This fact is explained by the fact that the probability of encountering the same pathological genes is too high.

In fact, marriages between relatives can be registered. When submitting an application to the registry office, the law does not establish the obligation of newlyweds to confirm or deny existing kinship. If they are silent about the presence of family ties, the marriage will be registered, but subsequently it may be declared invalid.

07 Jun 2021 etolaw 879

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Marriages between first cousins are not dangerous

Marriages between first cousins have been morally prohibited for many years. And in 31 of the American states they are generally outlawed. But the theory of genetic incompatibility underlying such beliefs has not been scientifically confirmed. And now the scientific community is fighting for everyone's right to marry the person they love. Even if it's his cousin.

Even during the years of the sexual revolution, marriage between first cousins remained taboo. But British researchers have come to the conclusion that all laws prohibiting such marriages are nothing more than a legitimate form of genetic and sexual discrimination.

Zoologists Hamish Spencer and Diana Paul spent many years studying modern statistics and historical data to reach a clear conclusion: “Children born from first-cousin marriages have the same chance of birth defects and genetic diseases as any other infants.” Scientists attribute the ban on such families primarily to social rather than medical factors.

In the patriarchal United States, cousin marriage was outlawed immediately after the Civil War. However, Spencer and Paul believe that this has nothing to do with the risk of having sick children, but was done only to strengthen the power of the state over the private lives of citizens.

“Unlike Britain and other European countries, consanguineous marriages in the United States were associated not with the aristocracy and the privileged classes, but with immigrants and the poor,” the authors write in the monograph.

A different point of view is expressed by University of Kansas anthropologist Martin Ottenheimer. In his book, American Myths of Cousin Marriages, he criticizes the discredited 19th-century theory about the genetic dangers of such family unions.

Regardless of the motivation, all scientists point out that existing laws have no scientific basis. The US National Society of Genetics, using current statistical data, claims that the likelihood of genetic defects in children born in consanguineous marriages is only 2-3% higher than in other newborns. It is noted that such a deviation is leveled out against the backdrop of a huge number of sick children from families of drug addicts and alcoholics.

“This is a hidden form of discrimination that people prefer to remain silent about,” says Robin Bennett, one of the leaders of the genetics society. “If a person cannot marry a partner who suits him, then I cannot call it any other word.”

The illegality of first-cousin relationships greatly influences abortion statistics in the United States. “These laws are archaic, outdated and unproductive,” says Martin Ottenheimer. “But this is no longer a scientific question, but a political one, requiring a revision of the social structure of society,” Hamish Spencer supports the dialogue.

Scientists are not sure that such discrimination will end in the coming years. But if cousins want to get married, then they can be sure that science is not a hindrance to them.

Topic: is it possible to marry a second cousin?

Recalculate with a calculator. First cousins share 1/8 of their genes, and second cousins share 1/32. Here we were talking about second cousins. According to church canons, this is the 6th degree of relationship, marriage is possible. If you want to argue, provide calculations or links, but if not, then no.

Second cousins are when a grandfather or grandmother is common; these are, in principle, very distant relatives. The degree of relationship (common genes) there is 2-3%, a very small percentage. There is no prohibition on such a marriage in any church canons, and from a purely scientific point of view there are no obstacles either.

Marriages between cousins

Can love conquer all? If you don’t think for a long time, the answer to this question will definitely be romantically positive. But if we recall some historical and modern prohibitions and barriers, then the unambiguousness of such an answer may be called into question. For example, sometimes people from different social classes simply cannot be together, and in other cases love disappears under the influence of time and distance. But there is another type of prohibition related to love and, accordingly, to marriage. This is a ban on marriage between relatives. At the same time, the greatest controversy is about the marriages of cousins. Why is this so, and are first cousin marriages really undesirable?

Why do marriages between cousins cause the greatest resonance in society? Everything is very simple here. Marriages between first-degree relatives are a priori prohibited, and almost everyone agrees with this. Marriages between distant relatives, although not particularly approved, are not strongly condemned either. But marriages between cousins are precisely the front line on which battles constantly take place between scientists, doctors, church workers, and, most importantly, between the relatives of those who want to enter into such a marriage.

How was it before?

History contains many facts of related marriages, and the reasons for their conclusion were very different. Some of the most significant reasons were considered political and financial. Royal dynasties previously did not allow outsiders into their circle, and marriages were concluded exclusively between persons from royal families. It is clear that there were much more ordinary people who did not belong to royal families, but the number of representatives of royal dynasties did not always make it possible to find worthy spouses without any degree of kinship.

In addition, quite often the reason for marriages between relatives was the idea of some nationalities that money should not leave the family.

There were also other reasons for consanguineous marriages, such as reluctance to mix blood. Aristocratic families who were careful about the history of their surnames were distinguished by such ideas about an ideal marriage.

What do scientists say?

Now, after many hundreds of years, modern scientists say that it was marriages between relatives that became the reason for the extinction of the dynasty of the Egyptian pharaohs. After all, geneticists constantly talk about the increased likelihood of all kinds of physiological abnormalities in the descendants of those who enter into related marriages. And a clear confirmation of this, according to scientists, are the same royal dynasties, the children in which suffered much more often from hereditary anomalies and were generally less viable compared to other children born in marriages between people who do not have family ties.

In addition, in contrast to the theory about the harmfulness of mixing blood, modern scientists cite another theory, according to which the more blood is mixed, the more healthy, beautiful and mentally developed the offspring will be.

In modern society, marriages between cousins are not so common. However, different nationalities have different attitudes towards this phenomenon. In many Asian countries, as well as in small settlements where residents have little interaction with the rest of society, marriages between cousins are either encouraged or almost inevitable. There are no legal prohibitions on such marriages in Europe. But in America, cousins cannot always officially become husband and wife, since such marriages are prohibited in 24 American states, and in another 7 states they are possible, but subject to mandatory conditions, for example, passing a genetic examination.

Marriages between cousins: possible risks

In addition to family and religious stigma, there are also certain medical risks associated with having offspring from first cousins.

These medical risks are explained very simply. The fact is that relatives are much more likely to have the same hidden gene changes. For both women and men, such a hidden gene change does not pose any danger (that’s why it’s hidden). But if such a woman and man, who have the same ancestors, think about their offspring, then the likelihood increases that their child’s gene change will not be hidden.

This is why marriages between first cousins must be medically approved. Of course, it is impossible to completely exclude the possibility of the coincidence of two identically altered genes, but it is still possible to reduce the risk of genetic diseases and anomalies in the offspring. During a conversation with potential parents, geneticists carefully examine the incidence of several previous generations, establish the percentage of hereditary diseases, and also determine the nature of the relationship between a man and a woman.

Based on the results of such genetic studies, it is determined how likely it is to have offspring with genetic abnormalities.

Latest Scientific Research

Some modern scientists have ceased to be categorical about such a phenomenon as marriages between cousins. And the reason for this was scientific research, during which it turned out that the risk of genetic abnormalities in a child born from cousins is only a few percent higher.

But in any case, without conducting a genetic examination, doctors do not advise cousins to think about having children together.

The problem of marriages between cousins affects many different aspects, both moral, spiritual and physiological. It is hardly possible to condemn people who take such a step, since this is only their choice, and no one has the right to persistently influence it. But each of us will have our own opinion on this issue, and we also have the right to it.

What are the degrees of relationship?

It can be difficult to figure out who is related to whom, because the variety of family ties and the terms used to denote them is very large. People often get confused in terms such as “stepson”, “stepdaughter”, “stepmother”, “brother-in-law”, “sister-in-law”, “brother-in-law”, unable to understand which of them have official status and which are used only in everyday life . Many people are increasingly turning to archives to reconstruct their family tree.

According to the degree of relationship, two lines are distinguished: direct and lateral. A straight line can be ascending or descending. The difference between a lateral line and a straight line is manifested in the fact that with a lateral line, several individuals are descended from common ancestors. With a straight line, the connection is obvious, for example, father and son.

Based on the presence of consanguineous ties, consanguineous and heterogeneous kinship are distinguished.

It is very convenient to study family connections in tables, which today are easy to find on the Internet.

It should be noted that direct relationships include first degree (parents and children) and second degree (grandparents and grandchildren). As for lateral kinship, a clear example of it are brothers and sisters

The question of what the degree of relationship is and what significance it has very often arises in legal relations of inheritance, where disputes often arise between relatives, who has the right to claim the inheritance and in what order, and why some heirs in this case receive a priority right over others . In this regard, it is very useful for every citizen to understand how to determine the degree of kinship in a Russian family.

First degree relatives

Since, in accordance with the law, the degree of kinship is determined by the number of births by which relatives are separated from each other, it is logical that the law classifies the closest relatives, those who are directly related to each other, as the first degree of kinship. Thus, relatives of the 1st degree of kinship (separated from each other by one birth) are parents and children.

Here it is necessary to take into account that the current legislation provides for cases when people who are not related by consanguinity, due to the implementation of the opportunities provided for by family law, acquire the status of first-degree relatives. This occurs, for example, in adoption, when a child becomes a member of the family, although the blood of the adoptive parents does not flow in his veins

Such a child in the family will have the same rights and responsibilities as provided for natural children

This occurs, for example, in adoption, when a child becomes a member of the family, although the blood of the adoptive parents does not flow in his veins. Such a child in the family will have the same rights and responsibilities as those provided for natural children.

Relatives of other degrees of kinship

The second degree of kinship includes people separated by two births. For example, grandparents and their grandchildren are the second degree of relationship.

There are other degrees of kinship, for example, the third includes great-grandparents and great-grandchildren, as well as uncles and aunts in relation to nephews. Cousins will already be in the fourth degree of kinship with each other, as well as great-aunts and grandfathers with respect to great-nephews. But cousins and aunts in relation to cousins are already the fifth degree of relationship. The sixth degree will include second cousins.

The meaning of kinship in inheritance

The degree of kinship during inheritance determines the right of certain relatives to inherit. In legal relations of inheritance, the right to receive property directly depends on the presence of family ties. In this regard, a lot of questions always arise, for example, to what degree of relationship should one classify one’s spouse.

However, the mere presence of a family connection does not give the right to inheritance. According to the law, calling for inheritance by heirs of the first priority automatically excludes the possibility of inheritance by representatives of subsequent orders. In other words, the order of kinship according to the law must be observed when receiving an inheritance in Russia.

Marriages between cousins

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Can love conquer all? If you don’t think for a long time, the answer to this question will definitely be romantically positive. But if we recall some historical and modern prohibitions and barriers, then the unambiguousness of such an answer may be called into question. For example, sometimes people from different social classes simply cannot be together, and in other cases love disappears under the influence of time and distance. But there is another type of prohibition related to love and, accordingly, to marriage. This is a ban on marriage between relatives. At the same time, the greatest controversy is about the marriages of cousins. Why this is so, and whether marriages between cousins are really undesirable, the women's magazine JustLady will tell you today.

Why do marriages between cousins cause the greatest resonance in society? Everything is very simple here. Marriages between first-degree relatives are a priori prohibited, and almost everyone agrees with this. Marriages between distant relatives, although not particularly approved, are not strongly condemned either. But marriages between cousins

relatives - this is precisely the front line on which battles constantly take place between scientists, doctors, church workers, and, most importantly, between the relatives of those who want to enter into such a marriage.

How was it before?

OFF: Is it possible to start a family with a second cousin?

The problem of consanguineous marriage lies precisely in the uncertainty and unpredictability of the outcome of pregnancy - it is impossible to predict with what kind of hereditary pathology a child may be born. It is not for nothing that in most Christian countries consanguineous marriages are not approved, since it is believed that this is the path to the degeneration of the nation. However, in the Muslim world this is a very common phenomenon. Second cousins are not close relatives; a successful pregnancy outcome is quite possible. Compared to the general population, the risk of giving birth to a child with severe inborn errors of metabolism that cannot be diagnosed during pregnancy is slightly increased. To more accurately assess the “similarity” of spouses in genetic terms, a study of HLA antigens can help. During pregnancy, special prenatal diagnostics regarding consanguineous marriage cannot be carried out. Only standard dynamic ultrasound is offered, a triple test for gross developmental anomalies. It is better to discuss these issues at an in-person medical genetic consultation.

Comparison For example, statistics from 1800-1824 show that Icelandic women who entered into relationships with relatives connected through the third line of the family tree had an average of 4.04 children and 9.17 grandchildren, while. This may indicate not only increased fertility of children in such marriages, but also, to a large extent, excellent genetic health. Thus, marriages between relatives of the third row of the family tree turn out to be the most beneficial for increasing the size of the nation and maintaining health.