Todays Parents Now

Performing a paternity test is the best way to find out for sure if a man is the true biological father of a child. The most frequent reasons paternity becomes an issue are divorce, child custody and child support court cases. However, it can also arise if a man questions the woman’s fidelity.

Paternity testing compares the child’s DNA pattern with that of the potential father, which is the most definitive proof known to exist. Three test options are available in paternity testing, these are: prenatal testing, viability test, and in-home testing.

Prenatal paternity testing is done when the pregnant mother is still on her 10th through the 13th week or 14th to 24th week of pregnancy, depending on the procedure to be used. This test may be conducted either through amniocentesis or chronic villi sampling (CVS).

In a viability test, preserved samples like hair, body tissues, and blood are being used. This test is commonly used in cases when the alleged father is not present or cannot be found.

If you simply want to know “discretely” who the father of a child is, then a home-conducted paternity test is for you. Do-it-yourself kits use the buccal swab to get the needed material, this swab placed into the mouth and performing a quick swipe of the inside of the cheek. Once the samples have been taken, they are sent to a lab for testing. The DNA material that was collected from the man in question as well as from the baby is then processed in the lab for possible matches. However, it must be kept in mind that the result derived from this process is not admissible in court.

A paternity test can be conducted for either personal or legal purposes. For personal paternity tests, the people involved can do the collection of samples themselves and simply send the DNA samples to the paternity test lab for processing. On the other hand, legal paternity tests require a detailed documentation to be admissible in court.

There are only two possible outcomes after taking a paternity test. If the man’s DNA types do not match the child’s DNA, then he is excluded as the biological father. However, if the DNA types match, then the man is not excluded as the father.

Paternity testing can lead to child support issues, custody and visitation being put upon you and your child if it is proven that you are the biological father. If this is not the outcome you are looking for, it may be wise to carefully think about what is to gain before having the paternity test performed. You can purchase DNA paternity testing kits online.