NHS defends cousin marriages because ‘only 15pc lead to birth defects’
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The NHS has defended cousin marriage because most do not lead to birth defects, it has emerged.

Midwives have been told about the benefits of “close relative marriage” in training documents that minimise the risks to couples’ children.

The documents claim “85 to 90 per cent of cousin couples do not have affected children” and warn staff that “close relative marriage is often stigmatised in England”, adding claims that “the associated genetic risks have been exaggerated”.