DNA paternity testing is done to determine who the baby's father is and it usually involves taking a sample from the father and the baby.
DNA paternity testing after delivery involves taking a sample from the mother, father and baby. The samples can include:
- cheek cells,
- blood,
- cord blood,
- hair or
- semen
During pregnancy, samples can include:
- cells from the placenta (CVS or chorionic villi sampling),
- amniotic fluid from amniocentesis, and
- a blood test from the mother to check fetal DNA as early as 9 weeks of the pregnancy
A DNA test from the presumed father is always needed to estbalish or exclude paternity.
DNA paternity testing is the test done to establish biological paternity. It determines who the child's father is. The test is often used as a notifier and as a legal force to establish court ordered child support and visitation rights. Most cases of DNA testing involve a mother who is trying to establish paternity and a father who is not willing to accept his paternal rights.
There are, however, cases where the mother is forced to undergo DNA testing of the baby in order to give paternal rights to the father being denied those rights. Either the father or the mother can demand DNA testing and if that demand is not met, an attorney can be hired to establish a legal case for paternity.
DNA is located in every cell of the body thus as long as the sample includes cells; DNA strands can be isolated and extracted. Once the DNA is ready, the loci (or DNA points) are matched between the father and the baby. The father will either be included or excluded. Exclusion means the suspected father is not the biological father. Inclusion means the DNA loci matched at least 97% up to 99.99.
DNA testing can take place without the knowledge of the father if the mother is able to secure a sample of DNA from the father. This test will most often not be admissible in a court of law, but could prove paternity in cases without legal status.