Prevalence of head and neck abnormalities among people with consanguineous parents

A high percentage of the patients at ENT or plastic surgery clinics have ENT abnormalities, either congenital or those developing later in life. Some are life threatening, while others cause disability and esthetic problems, with profound consequences for the affected child and the family. In addition, ENT abnormalities usually place stress on interpersonal relationships, causing social isolation, unhappiness and depression. The majority of these abnormalities is genetic and follows autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Geneticists believe that there is a higher frequency of autosomal recessive disorders among the offspring of consanguineous parents.