4 Things to Know Before Getting a DNA Paternity Test

While in every birth it is pretty obvious who the mother of the child is, this is not the case when it comes to fatherhood. Due to this, there is a big percentage of men who end up raising children who are not biologically theirs without knowing it. Others end up being denied the right to be in their biological children’s lives. Thankfully, today you can accurately identify the biological parents of a child through DNA testing. You can take a paternity test after the baby is born or you can now take enjoy the benefits of prenatal paternity testing. DNA tests play a big role in resolving custody and child support conflicts. Whether you are considering testing for peace of mind or to settle a conflict, below are four key things you should know before going for DNA paternity testing.

Paternity Testing Accuracy

The accuracy of the test results depends mainly on the testing procedures. Flawed methods can give wrong results. Thus, if you don’t choose a testing facility wisely, you may spend the rest of your life believing you are someone’s dad when in the real sense you are not, or vice versa. The best way to avoid this is to ensure you get services from an accredited facility. Accredited companies follow high and strict standards to ensure results are accurate. Secondly, if you go for a home testing kit, follow the instructions carefully when collecting the samples. Contaminated samples delay the procedure since you will have to repeat the process again.

Home Test Kits Vs Legal Testing

For home testing, you will receive a kit with instructions on how to collect samples. Once you have collected the samples, you will mail them back to the DNA test company and wait for the results. This is an ideal testing procedure only in cases where you are doing this to settle your curiosity. For legal DNA testing, samples are collected by a non-biased authorized third party. For example, you might want to do this using the DNA Testing, Drug Testing and Background Check Services – Health Street can offer. This is done to eliminate cheating by any of the parties. Legal paternity testing is ideal in cases where the results have to be presented in court for settling custody and other issues.  

Mother’s Sample for Paternity Testing

Including a mother’s sample in the test can help in improving the accuracy. Since each child gets DNA from both the mother and the father, having the mother’s sample makes it easier to identify the DNA the child got from the dad. This helps in drawing a more conclusive result. Therefore, when taking a DNA test, it is advisable to encourage the mother of the child to be a part of it. However, it is still possible to test and get accurate results where the mother is absent or unwilling to participate.  

Paternity Testing Without the Father

It is possible to prove paternity in cases where the father is absent or unwilling to take the test. This is normally done by testing a child’s DNA against the DNA of the alleged father’s brothers, sisters or parents. Also, a sibling test can be done in cases where the alleged father has acknowledged children.

Finally, don’t forget that DNA testing can be an emotional journey. Therefore, ensure that you are prepared for the truth before ordering the tests. Think about the welfare of the child too, especially if he or she is old enough to understand. Consider getting some therapy if you are feeling stressed by the whole situation.