In a world where nearly everything is possible, you can confidently identify if ‘your’ children are yours through a paternity test. Paternity means fatherhood, meaning the procedure is primarily conducted on males.

A paternity test is probably the only way to determine the genetic connection between a child and their potential father. It involves comparing the child and mother’s tissue samples with the alleged father to determine compatibility.  The fee varies depending on the method of paternity testing you choose and the service provider’s terms.

Here is a guide to help you understand how a paternity test works:

Types of Paternity Tests

There are various types of paternity tests, depending on the reasons behind the procedure and the method of operation. Under the first category, you can have a legal or home test, where the former is done as a request from a court of law or for immigration purposes.

Home paternity tests provide the father certainty and peace of mind or determine links to a prevailing or possible genetic condition.

Another type of paternity test depends on how the procedure is conducted, including DNA and blood-typing paternity tests. The blood typing test, invented in the 1980s and faded away, involved determining paternity through different blood groups.

Recently, a DNA paternity test has become the real deal thanks to its accuracy and ease of operation. The prenatal paternity test is highly popular among users.

Obtaining Samples

With DNA paternity testing, mainly done at the hospital, doctors begin by obtaining blood samples or swabbing around the inner check to obtain samples. Both ways of obtaining samples provide accurate results, allowing families to choose their preferred one.

There are typically no specific instructions for obtaining DNA samples except for wearing gloves and other PPEs to avoid contamination. In some circumstances, especially for legal paternity tests, doctors might be required to offer a permit from the court, wear their identification badges, get the family to sign various documents, and capture pictures or videos while the process is ongoing.

The samples are well-preserved, awaiting the main testing procedure. For home testing, the hospital sends various sample collection kits to the family as per the number of people to be tested, alongside instructions and return boxes.

Testing

Once the samples have been collected, they are taken to the medical facility for testing. At the laboratory, the samples are tested for viable bacteria and if they are enough to withstand a DNA test (Quantitation). The procedure takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour to prepare and two hours to undertake.

Quantitation is followed by DNA amplification, which involves establishing several copies of a particular DNA sequence within some hours. After a successful amplification, the amplified DNA molecules are separated to differentiate them from each other (Capillary Electrophoresis).

The data collected from the above process is recorded in a computer, after which a certain software program is used to develop a DNA profile. Most DNA-testing machines can analyze four different samples simultaneously.

Post-Testing

There’s nothing much to the DNA post-test period than presenting the results to the relevant family members. In the case of home testing, those in control of the operation will receive the results first and present them to a medical expert for interpretation.

While DNA paternity testing shouldn’t take long, some factors affect the testing period, including the quality of machines used. The last step of DNA paternity testing is interpretation. Due to the complexity of the matter, a professional needs to interpret the results for the concerned family members. The DNA profile/result report usually shows the probability of paternity between the alleged father and child.

It can either be a 0% or 99.99% probability of paternity, whereby the former means the alleged father is not related to the child DNA-wise. A 99.99% indicates that the father is genetically connected to the child.

DNA Paternity Test During Pregnancy

Yes! Interested parties can comfortably conduct DNA paternity testing during pregnancy, usually defined as prenatal testing. The procedure can be undertaken through three methods, including:

• Non-invasive uses the mother’s blood as a sample to determine a DNA connection that can be compared with the alleged father. It should be done after week 8 of pregnancy.
• The amniocentesis test requires a qualified doctor to insert a long, thin needle to draw a sample of the amniotic fluid from the uterus via the abdomen. It should be done as of week 14 of pregnancy.
• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is an invasive prenatal testing method whereby a doctor inserts a thin tube or needle into the vagina. Guided by an ultrasound, the doctor collects chorionic villi (small tissues attached to the uterine wall). It can be performed from week 10 or 13 of pregnancy.

All the above methods provide 99.99% accurate outcomes but are highly discouraged to avoid messing up the baby’s development. Unfortunately, at least 2/100 prenatal DNA testing procedures usually result in miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.