Inbreeding Effects in a Coastal Village and Other Parts of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

A survey was carried out among fisher-women in Pallepalam, in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh, to determine the prevalence and pattern of consanguinity and its effects on fertility, mortality, and morbidity. Of the 106 marriages investigated, 54.72% were consanguineous with predominant proportions of first cousin (36.79%) and uncle-niece (13.21%) marriages. The average inbreeding coefficients for autosomal and sex-linked genes were found to be 0.0405 and 0.0448 respectively. The differences between consanguineous and nonconsanguineous marriages were studied with respect to fertility, mortality and morbidity.