Parental Awareness of Thalassemia Transmission and the Impact of Consanguineous Marriages: A Cross- Sectional Survey

Authors

  • Ali Muhammad Memon PhD Scholar, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Zulfiqar Ali Laghari Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Jamshed Warsi Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Farhat Ijaz Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, CMH Lahore Medical College & Institute of Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Noman Sadiq PhD Scholar, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Rana Khurram Aftab PhD Scholar, Department of Physiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51846/jucmd.v4i1.3274

Keywords:

Consanguinity, Consanguineous Marriages, Thalassemia

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and relationship between consanguineous marriages and the awareness of thalassemia transmission among parents of thalassemic children.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from Oct 2019 to Feb 2020 in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. Three hundred
and eleven thalassemic children families were included in the study using a convenient purposive sampling technique. After informed
consent, the parents were interviewed and a proforma was filled out. Performa had questions about personal information, family information, and thalassemia awareness. Data was entered in SPSS version 21. Qualitative data was measured in frequencies.
Results: Among Three hundred and eleven thalassemic families, 26.4% didn’t know consanguineous marriage causes thalassemia;
72.3% of participants weren’t tested for thalassemia; 98.7% didn’t consult a doctor before marriage; only 1 % of participants did
prenatal genetic testing after pregnancy; 86.8% of the parents’ marriages were consanguineous. In 31.5% of these 311 children, the mother was her husband’s first cousin (daughter of spouse’s father’s sister). 16.4% of mothers were daughters of their spouse’s father’s brother, 15.8% of the spouse’s mother’s brother, and 23.5% of the spouse’s mother’s sister. Most couple who had thalassemic children don’t consult with a doctor nor do they go for genetic testing before marriage.
Conclusion: Consanguineous marriage is common among parents having a thalassemic child. Urgent policies should be advised and
implemented for the proper education of thalassemic families at the earliest.

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Published

20-09-2024

How to Cite

1.
Ali Muhammad Memon, Zulfiqar Ali Laghari, Jamshed Warsi, Ijaz F, Noman Sadiq, Rana Khurram Aftab. Parental Awareness of Thalassemia Transmission and the Impact of Consanguineous Marriages: A Cross- Sectional Survey. J Univ Coll Med Dent. [Internet]. 2024 Sep. 20 [cited 2025 Jul. 5];4(1):37-43. Available from: https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3274

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Original Articles