The present research aims to decode the ties between marriages within blood relation (consanguineous marriages) and childhood stunting in India using the latest round of National Family Health Survey, conducted during 2015–16. The present study utilizes data on 192,357 ever-married women age 15–49 years and 14,707 children under age five years from National Family Health Survey, India, 2015–16. To draw inferences from the data, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression has been utilized. A Propensity Score Matching technique has been used to understand the causal linkages between consanguineous marriages and childhood stunting. The prevalence of childhood stunting was higher among male child (40%) compared to the female child (38%) among women who have married their blood relatives. The findings hint’s a significant association between consanguineous marriages and childhood stunting. Multivariable regression and propensity score matching results also show that childhood stunting was significantly higher in consanguineous marriages compared to non-consanguineous marriages in the country. Thus, to reduce childhood stunting among children born to women married to their blood relatives, measures like premarital and pre-conception counselling need to be taken for the individuals opting for consanguineous marriages.

本研究旨在通过2015-16年度进行的最新一轮“全国家庭健康调查”来解读印度血缘关系中的婚姻（近亲婚姻）与儿童发育迟缓之间的联系。本研究利用了2015-16年印度全国家庭健康调查中192,357名15-49岁的已婚妇女和14,707岁的5岁以下儿童的数据。为了从数据中得出推论，已经使用了双变量和多变量逻辑回归。倾向得分匹配技术已被用于了解近亲结婚与儿童发育迟缓之间的因果关系。与亲戚结婚的女性中，男孩（40％）儿童发育迟缓的患病率高于女孩（38％）。这一发现暗示了近亲通婚和儿童发育迟缓之间的重要关联。多变量回归和倾向得分匹配结果还表明，与该国的非近亲结婚相比，近亲结婚的儿童发育迟缓明显更高。因此，为了减少与血亲结婚的妇女所生子女的发育迟缓，需要为选择近亲婚姻的个人采取诸如婚前和怀孕前咨询等措施。