During her appearance on the “Kelma Akhira” program on ON TV, Dr. Omima Idris, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cairo University’s Kasr Al Ainy, said that early marriage remains a problem in some rural areas and Upper Egypt, despite its decline in major cities. She explained that its danger lies in early pregnancy and the health complications it may cause for both the mother and the fetus.
Dr. Idris added that consanguineous marriage, or marriage between relatives, increases the likelihood of having children with congenital malformations or hereditary diseases such as thalassemia. She stressed that these cases can be easily avoided through pre-marital medical screening.
She also explained that some countries have succeeded in eliminating these problems through mandatory medical testing, calling for greater public awareness of the dangers of early marriage and consanguineous marriage, as well as stricter preventive measures to protect future generations from hereditary diseases and serious health complications.
