If you observe closely, you will see that DNA paternity testing has the same mechanism as many other genetic testing processes. With these genetic tests, you can discover your distant relatives, what is the origin of your DNA, or what kind of health risk you might be associated with. Additionally, you can also perform paternity testing while pregnant. This kind of testing method is called prenatal DNA testing.
Now there are even home kits available that can perform the genetic evaluation in the comfort of your home. These genetic tests compare the samples of the father and the child to provide you with authentic and reliable results for paternity. DNA paternity testing is the best way to identify the paternity of a child. According to a study in 2013, the results of these tests are almost 100% accurate.
Functionalities of paternity testing:
If you think about it, paternity testing is not a thing that everyone should go through. However, these DNA kits are very reliable and can be used in almost any kind of paternity matter, from lawsuits such as child support and inheritance to parental lineage. These genetic tests have come a long way. Additionally, paternity testing while pregnant has become non-invasive, which means there will be no harm to the mother or the unborn baby, and yet a paternity report can be generated in simple steps. In this article, you will see how these tests work and what kinds of tests are available in the market.
In the present times, there are many kinds of genetic testing capabilities that are available to you. These tests can be performed at clinics, hospitals, or even at home, such as ancestry testing. Additionally, there are also prenatal DNA testing that can generate reports of paternity testing while pregnant. Moreover, as these tests are carried out by the same laboratory methods, as long as the test is carried out by the lab that is AABB accredited, the accuracy of tests won’t be different, even if you are going to take the test from different testing centers.
The purpose of the test dictates the type of test you are going to take. For instance, if you are going for a genetic test so that you can have peace of mind, the DNA home kits would be a great option for you. In this type of test, saliva and cheek swab is collected, packaged, and sent to a lab for evaluation. On the other hand, if the test results are needed for legal reasons, paternity testing or any kind of genetic testing will be performed at a hospital.
Court ordered Paternity testing:
If you want your DNA testing results to be court admissible, it would be better to get them done from a clinic so that you can establish a chain of custody. As a result, the laboratory is going to verify the identity of every sample donor, and whenever samples change hands, the record is updated. This is a crucial part in terms of court-admissible DNA reports.
Paternity testing while pregnant:
Prenatal DNA testing enables testing facilities to perform genetic testing on an unborn baby. This test is performed at a hospital, and paternity testing while pregnant can be done in two ways.
The first method is known as chorionic villi sampling. This process can be performed on a 10 to 13 weeks old pregnant woman. This is an invasive method and has some serious complications as there are chances of miscarriage. On the other hand, there is a non-invasive method in which a sample of the mother’s blood is taken out that cell-free fetal DNA. These samples are collected in hospitals or a clinic and then sent to a lab for evaluation.
When is a paternity test necessary?
In a scenario where the mother and father of a child disagree about the paternity or when you just want to establish who the biological father is, you can file a petition in the office of the Attorney General asking that the court determine if the alleged father is the biological father or not. In these scenarios, the court will order the alleged father to take paternity testing.
