DNA Testing for paternity identification related issues is not the mystery it was only a few years ago.

After all, it makes regular appearances in the crime novels we read, the CSI shows on TV and in courtroom dramas on the big screen.

Most people understand that DNA (also known as our chromosomal fingerprint) can be found in trace evidence from crime scenes and is used to identify criminals.

Legal DNA Paternity Testing

Legal DNA Testing, done through an accredited DNA Testing facility, is court admissible evidence and considered one of our best ways of pinpointing identity through evidence left behind such as blood, hair, saliva or bodily fluids. But it is always very frequently used in identifying the paternity of a child.

In order to understand how DNA Testing works, it is essential to understand DNA itself. DNA consists of a ladder-like structure of chromosomes that a father and a mother contribute to a child.

At birth, that child has identifiable characteristics of both the mother and the father’s DNA within his/her own DNA structure.

Historically, attributes such as eye color, hair color, blood type and facial features were the things that fathers used to be certain of parentage. And in fact, there is a test for eye color that can potentially eliminate a man as a child’s father.

However, there is a much broader range of error in that test than accuracy. Even blood type can be tricky. So many people share the same blood type, it would be impossible to eliminate a woman’s husband who shared the same blood type as the child’s biological father.

Today, DNA Testing is also used in a number of domestic cases, including when there is a dispute or a question concerning the true identity of a child’s father.

Paternity DNA Tests

Paternity DNA Testing can be done using only a DNA Testing sample from the presumed father and from the child in question. However, it is much more accurate if the mother’s DNA Testing sample is included in the test.

There are also two kinds of tests-the less expensive home DNA Testing kits and the legal DNA Testing done through an accredited facility. Experts recommend where paternity is concerned, it pays to do the DNA Test legally, so that the results are court admissible.

There are a myriad of reasons why it might be important to know the true identity of a child’s father, but it’s a complicated issue, fraught with emotional land mines.

In most states, if a man and a woman have been married 300 days at the time the woman gives birth, her husband is legally considered to be the father of the child. However, that assumes that the wife has been entirely faithful to the marriage.

In most cases, this is true, and the husband has no reason to assume differently.

But suppose a question has come up about a child’s parentage.In the case of Dean Smith, 34, a Los Angeles carpenter, divorce was imminent. He and his wife had a daughter who was three-years-old, whom Dean had always assumed was his.

But in the heat of an argument, his wife had implied that might not be the case. Suddenly, Dean was no longer sure she was his biological daughter. He considered getting a DNA Paternity Test.

Paternity Identification and the Right to Know

Now, there are a number of factors at work here:

Dean has the right to know if he is the father of the child he has been raising and supporting. Legally, he is responsible for her.

The child has the right to know if Dean is, in fact, her father.

If Dean is her biological father, then he is legally bound to support the child until she turns 18. If he is not her biological father, he might have a case for discontinuing child support.

The problem is, Dean loves the little girl, whether he is, in fact, her father or not.

So, complicated issues of betrayal, legality and ethics arise around paternity and these should all be considered carefully before deciding to do a Paternity DNA test.

In messy divorce cases, there are times when legal DNA testing evidence that eliminates a husband as the father can have serious financial ramifications for both the child and the father.

Women also have a right to know paternity of their children. If a woman has had several partners and is not certain of paternity, a DNA paternity case can resolve this question.

Not only does she then have the legal right to expect financial support from the biological father, but her child will have an accurate family history to trace as he/she gets older. It can also prove to an uncertain husband that he is, in fact, the father of her child.

Gina, 18, had been adopted at birth. She loved her adoptive parents but was curious about her biological parents. Her search took her two years, but eventually, she found Tom, the man she believed was her father.

Tom was married with a young family, and had no idea a child had been born of a relationship that ended years before his current one. He agreed to do a paternity DNA Test.

They both gave saliva swipe samples to an accredited DNA Testing facility. The results took seven days to complete and cost nearly $500. It turned out Tom was, in fact, Gina’s biological father.

With all doubt removed from the equation, Tom acknowledged Gina as his daughter and introduced her to his wife and Gina’s half-siblings. For Gina and her new family, the DNA Paternity Test was well worth the money.

DNA Testing Laboratory Procedures

By: Larry Borsheim
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Larry Borsheim is a freelance writer with specialized knowledge in chemistry, DNA Testing and Drug Testing. Contact Larry at mailto:dnadrugtest@gmail.com for more information.

There are various reasons why either a mother or presumed father of a particular child may seek a prenatal paternity test.

Usually, the desire is to confirm or disprove whether there is a genetic DNA relationship between the alleged father and the unborn child.

This may be motivated by potential issues involving child support, legal custody, financial aspects, relationship conflicts, suspicion of an illicit affair and arguably, just simple peace of mind.

How Prenatal Paternity Tests are Performed

Collecting DNA samples from either of the designated potential parents is painless and only involves collecting small amounts of cells from the inner cheeks using swabs.

Extracting samples of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from an unborn child is completely different and obviously invasive in nature.

Presently, there are two methods of initiating a prenatal paternity test. The first involves collecting cells from the placenta and is referred to as Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS).

The second requires performing an amniocentesis which focuses on collecting loose fetal cells, but may also be used to screen for genetic anomalies that may affect the child in the near or later future.

Having amniocentesis performed can be used to determine if the child may genetically inherit any life threatening or debilitating diseases or challenges. There are many women that pursue this, simply because they desire to know if their child will be completely healthy prior to giving birth.

But this should not be considered as an opportunity to request a DNA test for paternity. If that is what is preferred, then be completely honest with your medical practitioners, otherwise they will likely suspect that something is not quite correct.

Prenatal Paternity Test Risks

In either case, these procedures can be performed as early into the pregnancy as 10 weeks, and as late as 24 weeks. As these are invasive procedures, there are always potential medical risks to the unborn child.

In all cases, such procedures must be performed by certified medical practitioners, and prior to considering them, a family Gynecologist and/or Obstetrician should be consulted.

There are some DNA testing companies that claim it is possible to avoid the risks involved with prenatal DNA extraction, simply by taking a sample of the mother’s blood.

Such tests have not yet proven to be scientifically accurate and are not endorsed by laboratories that are AABB certified.

These procedures should not be performed unless absolutely necessary because of the apparent risks to the child, perhaps even the mother and the obvious high costs of involving medical specialists.

A safer and less costly method would be to wait until the child’s birth and collect a blood sample from the umbilical cord.

This is simple and painless and will likely not impact the newborn child or the mother in virtually all instances.

Regardless of the prenatal or post-natal procedure used, the primary purpose is to extract an accurate DNA sample that will be processed by an accredited DNA testing facility.

The laboratory would then proceed to amplify the DNA and analyze these samples for the presence of at least 13 genetic markers.

Also, the lab would likely perform these tests twice in order to produce results that are extremely high in accuracy, with a probability of 99.999 percent.

Prenatal Paternity Testing Suggestions

To repeat, because it is incredibly important, if you absolutely deem it necessary to have a prenatal DNA paternity test performed, it is strongly recommended that you consult with expert medical practitioners that will be performing the procedure as well as a Gynecologist, Obstetrician and your family doctor.

You should also strive to anticipate the medical costs involved and determine if your medical insurance plan will cover any or all expenses. Receiving an unexpected medical bill for thousands of dollars is not what most people would prefer.

It may also be necessary to engage a paternity lawyer if there are possible legal issues.

Lastly, consider what is truly important before proceeding and this should be the health of the child. There may be strong emotions experienced by the mother, the assumed father and other family members regarding paternity, maternity, child support, custody issues and likely others.

These should always be secondary considerations to bringing a healthy child into the world regardless of who the true biological parents are.

Prenatal Testing Methods

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.

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?

An important aspect to consider prior to engaging in a paternity test is understanding more about what is DNA.

Although not a requirement, many people feel more confident with the sample collection, laboratory testing, analysis and results if they understand what is actually being tested.

DNA or as technically referred to, deoxyribonucleic acid is a chemical molecular signature that distinguishes one individual from another and each human from other forms of life.

Prior to the emergence of easily accessible DNA testing methods, blood tests were used to assist in determining paternity, maternity, genealogy and sibling relationships.

Testing paternity using DNA is now the defacto standard due to the information the analysis can provide and the extremely high degree of accuracy.

What Is DNA?

A local paternity case and others like it throughout the country are raising a firestorm of questions and concerns. State legislatures and judges are grappling with questions that go to the heart of what defines being a father.

Pennsylvania says Mike is the father of his child – even though he can prove he’s not the biological father. When his daughter was 2-years-old, Mike found out his wife was having an affair. But his wife told him she would end it, and assured him that their child was his.

However, two years later, he found out that the affair was still going on and he demanded a paternity test. “Got the results back and it was zero percent chance that I could be the biological father,” said Mike.

Mike filed for divorce and after it was granted – his ex-wife remarried. But in the meantime, she sued Mike for child support even though DNA proved that he was not the biological father. He went to court expecting an open and shut case.

He was not the biological father; in fact, the child was now living with her biological father. And yet, to his surprise, Judge David Wecht ruled that Mike had to pay child support – that under state law Mike was in fact the father of the child.

Wecht says what may appear to be an obvious case is less so under state paternity law, which says that when a child is born into an intact marriage the husband in that marriage is presumed to be the father. The law pre-dates DNA testing and Wecht could not consider that evidence.

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.

Often, if you are new to DNA paternity testing, it is very hard for you to choose the right DNA testing center. And this can be often be very disheartening and frustrating. In today’s episode, I’m going to shares some simple steps to start a DNA paternity testing. For more information about DNA testing – log on to DNAmazing.com

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 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.

How do you legally subpoena a third party if you think he is the father of a child, especially if he refuses to submit to DNA testing?

Thanks in advance for any help.

If I opted to use DNA testing, would a lock of hair be sufficient?

What DNA labs conduct test results that can be used for paternity purposes?