Monday, January 10, 2011

Paternity Testing Facts

Paternity testing using DNA (deoxyribunucleic acid) can be done several ways to establish paternity.

How Paternity is Determined


  • Testing is done by getting a sample of the DNA of the alleged father, the child and the mother. A child is the combination of the DNA of both parents. Through studying the DNA of the alleged father, mother and the child, the probability of a man being the father of the child can be as accurate as 99.99 percent.


  • Ways of Obtaining DNA


  • DNA can be collected from a blood sample, a cheek swab to collect saliva, umbilical cord blood, semen, tissue sample or hair.


  • Prenatal Paternity Tests


  • Before a child is born, paternity can be determined from two different tests. Both tests run the risk of causing miscarriage. Amniocentesis is done in the second trimester of pregnancy (14-20 weeks) by drawing out amniotic fluid with a thin needle with the use of ultrasound as a guide. CVS (Chorionic villus sampling) is done in the first trimester of pregnancy (10-13 weeks) by inserting a thin needle through the vagina into the uterus to get tissue samples that come from the fertilized egg that attach to the uterine walls.


  • Postnatal Paternity Tests


  • The safest paternity testing is done after the child is born by getting blood samples or doing a cheek swab.
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