Exchange Wedlock Along with Consanguineous Frequency at Different Deaf Schools in Karachi Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Wedlock is beneficial when a couple is hesitant to meet the societal ideal of traditional marriage acceptance with consanguineous along with exchanged wedlock carrier in hearing loss outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine exchanged wedlock along with consanguineous acceptance magnitude among parents at deaf schools in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: We identified 714 deaf children with a profound sensory neural hearing loss (PSNHL) confirmed diagnosis from 20 January 2020 to 30 April 2021, with at least six self-reported parent response measurements regarding their school-registered deaf child. We linked to parent’s self-reported family marital category exchanged wedlock to the risk of family type relationship in consanguinity (First-degree close parent relationship=1 uncle, sister, Second degree near close parent relationship= 2 step mother, Non-close parent relationship=3 caste, non-caste, same and different ethnicity) after PSNHL diagnosis. A univariate analysis for categorical data such as gender, family type etc.

Results: Deaf children (n=1378) who were PSNHL (714) had a greater risk-prone toward consanguineous (94.5%) relationship (OR 1.73;95% CI 1.18 to 2.55), exchanged wedlock along with consanguinity (2.2%) relationship (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.33 to 4.67). Children of parents whose marriage was exchanged wedlock (3%) also had a greater risk of shared environment relationship (OR 1.10; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.29) than children who were the result of non-close parent relationships.

Conclusions: Exchanged wedlock along with consanguineous acceptance rate was very low. Contextual pre-marital relationship guidelines may incorporate into routine medical advice care for carrier families.