Kissin' cousins

[wubbakat]

I have come across a very touchy subject today at work. I have a new mom. Was married to her first cousin, had a baby, now FOB not involved. The baby is actually the FOB's son and cousin. My question is, are there any laws regarding incest, and at what "removed" (ie, twice removed, 3X removed) cousin is considered at a "safe" distance for families. I have not come across this before, yes this is a very small town area, and it doesn't surprise me. Kinda makes me relieved that I am an "outsider" to this area. Anyone else come across this?

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

When I got married and googled up what it took to get a marriage liscense I happened upon a big listing of all 50 states indicating which ones allowed first cousins to marry and which ones didn't. Some specified that it was okay, some not and some said that only if the woman was past childbearing years. (irrelevant to my hubby and I as we are completely unrelated)

[MuddaMia]

my great grandmother married her cousin, of seven children there was at least one alcoholic, one schizophrenic, one with cerebral palsy, one died young. the next generations ende up with some alcoholism, depression, bipolar...not sure if its the cousin-to-cousin thing or not but gives one thought.

(and it makes me somehow 4th cousins or something to my mother, which is just weird)

since these are not recessive disorders..they have nothing to do with the marriage being btwn cousins

btw--when i was looking this up on google ,i came across this:

famous people who married their cousins:

queen victoria

charles darwin

albert einstein

jerry lee lewis

franklin d. roosevelt

first prime minister of canada, sir john a. macdonald

jessie james

christopher robin

rudy giuliani

edgar allen poe

biblical mary and joseph were first cousins

prophet muhammad

aemilia lanyer

jean sebastien bach

h.g. wells

werner von braun

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

I think I was watching Dr. Phil, and he did an episode about 1st cousins who married without knowing they were related and the family made a big deal about it when they found out, urging the two to not have children. Dr. Phil provided some research evidence stating that the incidence of genetic defects among cousins is nearly the same as for the general unrelated population. I was suprised! As far as an incest concern, it would depend on state law...but I would pay close attention to family dynamics (especially after being in my psych rotation). Some things are accidents, some are not, and incest that occurs is likely to transmit (behavoirally) to further generations