Whether using a home DNA paternity testing kit or deciding to use a DNA test lab for determining child parenthood, there are important differences that you should understand before pursuing either option.

Obviously, a DNA home test is very likely to cost less, but does it provide the results required when compared to using a DNA lab testing facility in determining the parenthood of a child?

There are several advantages and disadvantages to either which you must be aware of before making a final decision.

Certainly, paternity implies fatherhood and this can be established by an accredited testing laboratory using proper DNA genetic testing methods.

Any DNA paternity test must be performed to the legal standards set forth by authorized government regulations.

The results virtually ensure that the assumed father is also the biological father of a child.

Paternity is effectively disproved when the identical methods and standards employed demonstrate that a proposed father can not actually be the true biological father and with an extremely high degree of accuracy.

Lab or Home DNA Test Kit?

In prior years, DNA testing required using a laboratory presence; however, there are now various types of DNA tests presented for home use.

These DNA test kits are available either via online shopping or even direct from your favourite pharmacy. The cost for these home DNA tests can vary, depending on your preferences.

So what’s the difference? Either you buy a DNA testing kit or you engage the services of a reputable laboratory that is certified to perform DNA testing.

If you purchase a paternity testing kit, you are provided with tools for collecting and marking the DNA samples. Afterwards, you submit the results to the testing lab for verification.

Some weeks later, you receive the results that confirm or disprove the parenthood of the child.

If you buy a home kit for DNA testing, submit the results to the designated lab, you will almost certainly discover and confirm the nature of the parental relationship.

But, what you will NOT be able to do is submit these results in any court of law. This is the problem with home paternity DNA test kits.

If you only need to know if you are genetically related to the child in question, then this is your low cost and perhaps best option to pursue.

If perhaps there are child custody issues and substantial financial issues at stakes, it is likely better to adopt a strategy that is bullet-proof with respect to confirming genetic identity and paternity.

This implies that you should consider using a certified DNA paternity testing lab and forgo the home testing kits.

By recognizing the importance of all aspects with respect to collecting DNA samples, delivering them properly, analyzing them and providing certified results, you are likely to receive guaranteed proof in almost all courts of law.

It may cost somewhat more, but the results may definitely be worth it in the long run.

Free DNA Testing Kits

With a minimum of research, you can most likely find a free DNA test online or otherwise.  Most home DNA test kits are essentially the same and easy to use.

A basic and easy to use DNA paternity test kit can cost roughly $200.00.  A low-cost DNA test kit like this is often used for proving paternity to an unbelieving father or perhaps for family members who are only looking for basic confirmation and some peace of mind.

Other in-home DNA tests can include testing for perhaps the mother, assumed father, and obviously the child in question.  It is not necessary that the mother be tested but this is recommended if her DNA samples are available.

DNA paternity testing is effectively so powerful that tests can be conducted even when no mother is available.

There are no age limits with respect to DNA paternity testing.  In the past, it was the case that only newborns over the age of six months could be tested.

But this is definitely no longer the case and it is usually only necessary to extract some umbilical cord blood at birth or use swabs to collect from the cheek cells of an infant.

A DNA paternity test is most likely the most accurate manner of paternity testing possible. If the DNA patterns between the child and the presumed father do not match with respect to two or more DNA probes, then it is virtually without a doubt that the alleged father is 100% excluded and therefore cannot possibly be the biological father of the child.

What to Consider Before having a Paternity Test

Here is a quick video about the proper way to capture DNA samples when using a home DNA testing kit. Regardless of which kit you purchase, certain procedures must be followed to avoid contaminating the DNA sample with that of others, especially when taking swabs from a child’s mouth. This may save future grief in having to resubmit samples that were not properly taken initially.

This video is courtesy of www.assuredna.co.uk, which supplies a reliable home testing kit that is available at larger Boots stores, independant pharmacies online and on the high street. The assuredna test kit is easy to use, safe and with the accuracy of results typically in excess of 99.99%, you and your family can be sure of peace of mind from one of the most trusted names in DNA testing.

American pharmacy giant Walgreens has decided to stop selling Pathway Genomics’ home genetic testing kit after the FDA sent the kit manufacturer a letter warning that the tests were not federally approved. In a letter to James Plante, founder and CEO of Pathway Genomics, the FDA said the kit “appears to meet the definition of a [medical] device,” and is thus subject to regulation.

www.GenealogyDNA.com – Genealogy DNA Testing – Family Finder – Family Tree DNA.

Having a DNA test can be helpful in pre-determining a person’s genetic chances of contracting a future disease or even their children’s potential abilities for athletic performance. But are either purposes for having such tests warranted or more importantly, a wise idea?

Simple saliva DNA tests collect genetic samples that are forwarded to an accredited laboratory for analysis. The results provided indicate the probabilities of certain conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many other potentially life-threatening factors.

Knowing that one is more susceptible to certain illnesses or conditions can act as a warning flag in order to take the appropriate precautions by observing proper eating habits, exercising, medication, etc. This can only help increase one’s lifespan or at least defer the possible onset of future problems. Most people would generally agree that using a DNA test to reveal such factors is a wise precaution.

Having children tested for hereditary problems that are not under their genetic control is also likely a good idea. Again, parents can take the necessary proactive precautions to ensure the health of their children.

But what of using DNA analysis to influence a child’s athletic future? The father of the child in the video is a power weight lifter, and the mother, a volleyball champion. If the child shows similar genetic potential to follow a similar athletic path, should the parents encourage the child to pursue the same future?

These are questions that should be asked soon and before future DNA analytical techniques provide more precise information instead of reasonable probabilities. Should a child that is genetically predicted to have the potential to be an Olympic runner, but decides to become an artist be dissuaded from doing so?

Virtually every parent wants their children to succeed, and in the best manner possible, but where do their best interests end, and that of the children start?

Pharmacies in the UK have started to sell DNA paternity testing kits over the counter. In the past, such testing could only be arranged through a court order, with the DNA samples taken by a medical professional. Will this opportunity for the general public to buy these tests, in a similar way to being able to purchase home pregnancy testing kits, be in the best interests of the children?

Under the requirements of UK Data Protection laws, the service and results are confidential. All adult parties who have submitted a sample for analysis will receive a copy of the report.

Results are not passed on to any third parties unless you request us to do so. In order to further protect confidentiality we do not discuss results of tests over the telephone.

All samples are sent to our laboratories in specially designed tamper-evident packaging. Once testing is complete and you have received the results, your DNA sample is stored securely for 3 months after which time it is destroyed.

In paternity cases all identification paperwork is held by Cellmark for a period of one year after testing is complete after which time it is destroyed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

As directed by Data Protection laws your information will not be passed onto anyone you have not given us authorisation to do so.

Please tell me if you had a good experience using this or any home DNA testing kit. By this I mean DNA tests that you do in the home and send away to a lab then get your results back.

Thank you in advance for any help!

My friend had a baby, now the dad is denying that he is the father. He wants to take a DNA test to prove he’s not the father, and they’ve decided to use the Identigene one from walgreens.

Has anyone here used it and got accurate results? If you did use it, was it even a good test?

My girlfriend is pregnant. I think the doubt is quite small, but naturally 95% certainly isn’t enough with this. Hundreds of DNA companies pop up on Google when you type in ‘dna paternity home test’ but can you assume these are legitimate?

Has anyone used any of them and can recommend? No I don’t want to call my doctor’s office for this, that defeats the purpose of using a home test kit.

I have been married for about four years and recently discovered by using a home paternity test that my year and a half old daughter is not actually mine. My wife confessed that she had been with another man at approximately the apparent time of conception.

We have decided to stay married, but I would like the alleged father to take a paternity test to validate this and make sure my daughter knows her real father. But the alleged individual will not take a DNA test willingly.

Can I have the courts decide paternity? And since we are still married, can he be forced to pay child support?

Thank you in advance for any help and advice.

Can I not just get some sort of equipment and mix it all up myself?

I found http://nature.ca/genome/05/051/pdfs/DNAextract_e.pdf but it only shows how to extract.

I looked on www.telltips.com (that site lunched a day age) and it’s not yet posted!

I need to know… any help would be great!

There is a following report on MSNBC news.

Pharmacy chain markets DNA paternity tests in 30 states nationwide

Who’s your daddy? DIY paternity test debuts
March 27: A new type of at-home medical test can reveal a child’s paternity.

I searched it online and came up with several different sites; some were low and some were high in cost.

Those for non-legal purposes were quoted because I noted that the legal ones cost substantially more.

I was wondering if anyone has ever done one and what was the accuracy of it?

Thanks.

Wondering if anyone has ever used one of those at home, private DNA tests and, if so, how sure were you of the accuracy of the test?

How long did it take you to get the results?

Thank you for any advice.