A major medical row will erupt this month when British scientists and health experts meet to discuss the controversial subject of marriages between cousins and their impact on health. Some researchers and politicians say inter-cousin unions, which are highly prevalent among British Pakistanis, have led to a striking rise in the incidence of rare recessive disorders, many of them fatal. "We give warnings about the dangers of smoking, drinking and taking drugs. It is now time that primary care trusts started doing the same for cousin marriages," said MP Ann Cryer.
