Association between consanguinity and neurological and developmental disorders in pediatric patients: A retrospective cohort study in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

doi:10.5409/wjcp.118721

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World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics

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2219-2808

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

Retrospective Cohort Study

Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Clin Pediatr. Sep 9, 2026; 15(3): 118721
Published online Sep 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.118721

Association between consanguinity and neurological and developmental disorders in pediatric patients: A retrospective cohort study in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Abdullah H Alhamoud, Nora E Granana, Mohammed F Bajahzer, Ali M Muthaffar, Mazin A Sabi, Asmaa A Aboelsoud, Reem H Harbi, Maram H Harbi, Abdu M Hawas

Abdullah H Alhamoud, Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Jazan General Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Abdullah H Alhamoud, Ali M Muthaffar, Mazin A Sabi, Department of Pediatric, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Nora E Granana, Asmaa A Aboelsoud, Abdu M Hawas, Department of Pediatric Neurology, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Mohammed F Bajahzer, Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Ministry of Education, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Reem H Harbi, Department of Medicine, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Maram H Harbi, Department of Emergency, Jazan General Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia

Author contributions: Alhamoud AH and Granana NE conceptualized the study; Alhamoud AH, Granana NE, Muthaffar AM, and Hawas AM developed the methodology; Aboelsoud AA, Harbi RH, Harbi MH, and Sabi MA collected the data; Bajahzer MF and Granana NE performed the formal analysis; Alhamoud AH and Granana NE supervised the study; Alhamoud AH and Muthaffar AM wrote the original draft; Alhamoud AH, Granana NE, and Muthaffar AM reviewed and edited the manuscript; all authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Institutional review board statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Jazan Health Committee (Approval No. 23100; Date: 25/10/2023). The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent statement: Informed consent/assent requirements were waived for this minimal-risk retrospective chart review per Institutional review board policy; patient data were anonymized and handled confidentially.

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.

Data sharing statement: De-identified data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to institutional and ethical restrictions.

Corresponding author: Abdullah H Alhamoud, MD, Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Jazan General Hospital, Jazan Health Cluster, Street 7, Jazan 82722, Saudi Arabia. dr.alhamoud1990@gmail.com

Received: January 9, 2026
Revised: January 30, 2026
Accepted: April 7, 2026
Published online: September 9, 2026
Processing time: 205 Days and 20.9 Hours

Core Tip

Core Tip: Parental consanguinity remains common in Saudi Arabia and may contribute to the burden of pediatric neurological and developmental disorders. In this retrospective cohort study, children born to consanguineous parents as compared to those born to non-consanguineous ones showed slight discrepancies in the distribution of epilepsy types and developmental disorders; however, there was no clear evidence to support an association between consanguinity and these discrepancies. These findings, nonetheless, should not undermine the link between consanguinity and neurodevelopmental outcomes or the importance of early developmental screening and culturally sensitive genetic counseling in high-consanguinity regions.