Relative prevalence of malformations at birth among different religious communities in Israel

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the relative prevalence at birth of major malformations among the different religious communities in Israel as a way to better understand their causes. We collected data on malformations present among liveborn infants in a 10-year period from the national registry of birth defects according to the religious affiliation. In a total of 1,203,763 liveborn infants, the prevalence of major malformations was in a similar range among Jews and Christians and much higher among Muslim and Druze. These observations may be explained by differences between these communities, in particular, the rates of consanguinity and of therapeutic abortions. The Muslim and Druze communities in Israel are those with the highest consanguinity rates and the lowest rates of termination of pregnancies when a malformation is diagnosed. Analysis of the differences in the rate of malformations at birth in different communities is important for Public Health planning. It may also help to delineate causes and serve as the basis for research.

Population screening in a Druze community: the challenge and the reward

“…4 -7 Not surprisingly, the prenatal incidence in Israel for almost all major malformations is higher among Druze than Jews. 8 The fact that terminating pregnancies of affected fetuses is much less common among Druze than Jews 8 results in a difference in the rate of malformations between these populations that is even greater at birth than prenatally. For example, during 1991 and 2000 the rate of Down syndrome at birth was 2.4 times higher among Druze than Jews, and the rates for anencephaly and encephalocele were more than five times higher.…”

“…For example, during 1991 and 2000 the rate of Down syndrome at birth was 2.4 times higher among Druze than Jews, and the rates for anencephaly and encephalocele were more than five times higher. 8 Screening of high-risk populations has proven successful and cost effective for the prevention of life-limiting AR diseases such as Tay Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and Thalassemia. 9 -12 The ultimate goal of population screening is reduction in the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of birth defects and genetic disorders.…”

Mutations inCRB1are a Relatively Common Cause of Autosomal Recessive Early-Onset Retinal Degeneration in the Israeli and Palestinian Populations

“…6,11,14 The Israeli and Palestinian populations are characterized by a relatively high rate of consanguineous marriages and marriages within specific ethnic groups, leading to a high proportion of AR diseases. 21,22 In our study, we analyzed Israeli and Palestinian families with AR retinal degenerative diseases for CRB1 mutations, and show that homozygosity mapping is a powerful tool to identify causative genes and mutations in this population.…”

Consanguinity and Its Effect on Morbidity and Congenital Disorders Among Arabs in Israel

“…Various forms of congenital malformation of the central nervous system, speech and infertility were found at a higher frequency in those individuals whose parents are familyrelated, than those with unrelated parents (Bromiker et al, 2004;Zlotogora, 1997). A high proportion of infant mortality due to congenital malformation in the Arab community in Israel is mainly caused by the high frequency of consanguineous marriages (Zlotogora et al, 2003). A report published by Abu-Rabia & Maroun (2005) showed that consanguinity negatively affects children's reading abilities.…”