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I see it all the time regarding Incest......Incest Causes Gross Birth Defects ALL the time..........Totally False!

First let's define incest as sex between CLOSE relatives. That is relatives who are MORE closely related than COUSINS. Any relationship that is of cousins or more distantly related individuals there is no increased risk of birth defects.

That means we are talking about Sibling/Sibling, Parent/Child and Grand Parent/Grand Child sexual relations which produce offspring.

Second, for the general public, the average incidence of birth defects are in the range of 1% to 3% of all live births. A very small percentage.

For incestuous births, the percentage is 3% to 5%.

Hence, the increase in birth defects is only about 2%, which is by itself a very small percentage and that figure does not increase unless there are many repeated instances of incestuous relations within the same family group, or repeated inbreeding of related incestuous offspring.

Incest does not equal BIRTH DEFECTS........PERIOD!

On top of that, where's the information when it comes to mental illnesses the children inherit, possible develop?



Your own quote, there IS an increased risk of birth defects. Period. And your "fact" is misleading. From: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/04/columns/fl.grossman.incest.04.09/



That's not talking about the increased risks with closer relation incest, only cousins.

Yes, not all children born to an incestual relationship will have immediate, physically known birth defects (mental ones are harder to detect until later), doesn't mean take the chance. Not every baby whose mother did drugs will come out with defects, I don't see anyone encouraging with false statistics to go do drugs whilst pregnant.

Oh hell I knew that one!! Great you're putting the word out though so not so many freak about this topic.

When Mom and her husband (who was her Cousin) went to the doctor to see what risks would be involved if they were to have kids. There was a 1-3% chance of having a birth defect in the child if they were NOT related at all, and a 1-4% chance of a birth defect because they are cousins, first cousins too might I add. So 1% is no biggie. And hey my Bro and I turned out fine!! mrgreen

From a genetic standpoint, I srt of agree with the OP. It's a fallacy to say that all children of related parents will have problems but if there is a problem having parents who are related would increase the chance that the child will have it.

Different cultures simply have different incest taboos. That's something many people don't keep in mind. People in my family can trace it back to great grand parents and all the little branches on the family tree. Therefore, I know my relatives all the way to 5th and 6th cousins and these people are all off limits because like a poster above said, it would stain family relations.