• Hemarana K
• Jeyashree KV
• Michael Babu, M

ABSTRACT : Union of partners with close biological ancestry is known as consanguineous marriages. This paper examines the effect of consanguineous marriages on fertility, infant and child mortality and morbidity carried out in 5 selected SC communities of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. Data for assessing and evaluating the effect of inbreeding were collected through random sampling using structured questionnaire. A total of 3822 ever married women aged (19 to 90 years) were interviewed for the study. Types of mating patterns observed include 1C, UN, DFC, 2C with predominant 2C marriages. Mean fertility in these communities was observed to be higher for consanguineous (4.32%) unions. Among the inbred the highest value (4.32%) for fertility mean falls in first cousin unions and lowest (1.67%) in uncle niece unions of Sambavars. Mortality pattern was found to follow the mean fertility pattern highest among consanguineous (Thandan, 24.2%) and lowest among non-consanguineous (6.76%). Morbidity conditions was also high among consanguineous group (13.11%). It was also observed that among non-consanguineous (NC) Pallars, morbidity conditions was not observed in any form. The observations of higher mean fertility and higher mortality among consanguineous unions (C) could be due to genetic homozygosis of genes that favour and increase the risk effects, as the case may be, inherited from their common ancestors.

Survival, lethal equivalents, fertility, consanguineous, spouses

"A STUDY ON CONSANGUINITY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FERTILITY STATUS OF SELECTED COMMUNITIES IN KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 5, page no.134-141, MAY-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1805627.pdf

"A STUDY ON CONSANGUINITY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FERTILITY STATUS OF SELECTED COMMUNITIES IN KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 5, page no. pp134-141, MAY-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1805627.pdf