Objective: This study assessed the causes and prevalence of consanguineous marriages, their effects on the children's health, on life satisfaction and on relationship's relation to the happiness of the women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the population consisted of married, divorced or widowed women in Hatay, Turkey. The study sample was 584 women selected by a multistage sampling method. The data were collected during April and May 2014 at the women's homes with a face to face interview. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, fertility, marital status, social and economic factors, opinions on marriage type, the Happiness Scale in Relationships and Life Satisfaction Scale of the women and child health. Results: The prevalence of consanguineous marriage was 34.4%, and low education, low economic status and low income were the associated factors (p <0.05). The total number of pregnancies, live births and infant mortality were higher among consanguineous marriages (p <0.05). Percentages of congenital diseases and disabled children were also higher in this group (p <0.05). Life satisfaction and happiness in relationships were not different for consanguineous marriage and others (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Consanguineous marriages are very common in Hatay, and they are associated with low economic and educational levels. It has negative effects on the offspring's health.