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Sometimes DNA testing is required to establish the father of a child. The test helps to discover a child’s biological father and gain legal rights to child custody, inheritance, and social security. Basically, paternity tests are done by collecting, testing, and analyzing DNA samples. The test removes any doubt about the identity of the child’s biological father. In most cases, the test results encourage the father to be a part of the child’s life. The test is an essential tool to disprove or prove a biological father-child relationship.
A DNA paternity test is very similar to other types of genetic tests. It compares the samples of a father and child’s genetic code and provides an accurate indicator of paternity. The tests are reliable and 100% accurate because each person has a unique genetic fingerprint. A child shares 50% of DNA with the biological mother and 50% with the biological father. Testing the DNA sample shows whether a man and child share a biological relationship.
How is DNA paternity testing done?
DNA paternity testing is done after collecting blood samples or cheek swabs. Then, the testing center conducts a series of DNA sequencing tests. The tests try to find potential matches between the father and the child. Generally, the test results are available in two days.
Paternity Test During Pregnancy
Paternity tests are done in three different ways during pregnancy to establish paternity before a child is born.
Non-invasive prenatal paternity test: The test is done during the first trimester of pregnancy. The embryonic DNA found in the pregnant woman’s blood sample is collated with the DNA from the cheek swab of the potential father.
Chorionic villus sampling: A sample of tissue from the pregnant woman’s placenta is collected and collated with the DNA of the potential father. The test carries a risk of miscarriage.
Amniocentesis: Amniotic fluid is taken in small amounts and collated with the potential father’s DNA. The test is done between the fifteenth and twentieth weeks of pregnancy, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Reasons for Paternity Testing
Children born to unmarried couples need to establish paternity so that the court allows child support arrangements or custody.
When people pass away, leaving behind inheritance questions, paternity testing helps to settle disputes. In addition, the test results help to establish inheritance rights by confirming the biological relationship.
The test results help people who were adopted to find their biological parents. Moreover, the results are proof of the blood relationship between two people.
A paternity test plays a significant role in child custody cases, where the father wants the right to see the child. The mother may deny the visitation rights if she feels the man is not the biological father.
Paternity testing results hold the fathers accountable for the child’s financial well-being. It also helps men to avoid paying child support when there is no biological relationship between them.
In some instances where birth certificates are unavailable, testing is needed to prove a familial relationship. It is helpful in immigration cases, especially when a child is born outside the country.
Conclusion
An at-home paternity kit provides an easy and cost-effective way when no legal issues are involved. A non-legal at-home test kit helps people to do the test from the comfort of their homes.
If paternity test results are needed for legal purposes, the testing is to be done through an accredited laboratory. It is a quick process, and the test results are accepted as legal proof of a relationship. Sometimes the court makes the arrangements for the test.
Undoubtedly, paternity tests help people to make informed decisions. It is the most accurate test to verify the relationship between a father and child. The test results secure the child’s life and strengthen the relationship.
