Advertisement

One in five child deaths in London borough caused by parents being related

The Redbridge borough report discovered the shock findings (Picture: REX)
The Redbridge borough report discovered the shock findings (Picture: REX)

A shocking report has discovered that one in five child deaths in an east London borough is due to the baby’s parents being related.

A report by Redbridge council found that a staggering 19 percent of baby deaths in the London borough over the last eight years were caused by ‘consanguineous relationships’, referring to couples who are second cousins or close relatives.

The report was discussed at a health and wellbeing meeting, where it was revealed that 9% of the children who died came from Pakistani families, where marriages between close relations are thought to be more common.

Under UK law, it is not illegal to marry a second cousin.

Redbridge borough looked into child deaths between 2008 and 2016 (Picture: REX Features)
Redbridge borough looked into child deaths between 2008 and 2016 (Picture: REX Features)

Councillor Joyce Ryan reportedly told the meeting that local communities were not listening to the risks posed by the relationships.

‘Although everyone is battling hard at this, it is something that some communities struggle to accept and sometimes do not want to accept’, she said.

More than 200 child deaths occurred in Redbridge between 2008-2016, with the council opting to review some 80 percent of them.

Half the child deaths were among children of Asian ethnicity.

But while Vicky Hobart, Redbridge’s director of public health, accepted that consanguinity is an issue, she warned the meeting to ‘not read too much into it’.

The report took account of all deaths in the borough of children up to the age of 18 since April 1st 2008, but did not take account of stillborn babies and terminated pregnancies.

RELATED VIDEO: