Consanguinity in South America: Demographic aspects

A sample of 53,552 nonmalformed liveborn infants was ascertained by the Lat in-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations between 1967 an d 1996. The mean consanguinity rate was 0.96%, with significantly higher va lues in Brazil and Venezuela, and lower in Argentina. Low paternal educatio n and occupation levels were positively associated with consanguinity. Firs t-cousin matings represented almost half of all consanguineous couples. The consanguinity was mainly of more closely related types in Brazil, while in Venezuela more remote types predominated. This could reflect differences i n migration patterns and rates between these two countries. Copyright (C) 2 000 S. Karger AG, Basel.