DNA Paternity Testing Before a Child’s Birth
Couples often wonder the paternity of their unborn child and would want to establish this before the child is born and therefore submit the father for DNA testing. Sometimes the need of knowing who the father of the child is immediate and so they need not wait for nine months or even years after before finding out who the real or biological father of the child is. Other reasons for this test will include testing for abnormalities of the child and other inherited diseases that are genetic in nature.
Because of advances in technology nowadays, a DNA test can be done even if the child is still lying comfortably inside the womb of her mother. In DNA test labs; this is called the Prenatal DNA Paternity Testing, although Home DNA testing cannot be possibly made. This is done by collecting either one or two sample specimens from the mother’s womb, from the period between 10 to 24 weeks after conception depending on the different age of the developing fetus.
The method used to collect the sample for DNA Testing is chorionic villus sampling or CVS, if the pregnancy falls within the period 10 to 13 weeks after the baby was conceived. This procedure involves the doctor inserting a thin needle or a fine tube guided by ultrasound, into the womb through the vagina and cervix to obtain a sample of chorionic villi that composes the placenta, therefore home DNA testing is not possible. This DNA sample taken will then be tested and analyzed.
When the mother is between 14 to 24 weeks pregnant, the method used to collect the baby’s sample is called amniocentesis which is similar to the first procedure that involves inserting a needle into the womb. However, in this procedure the needle will be guided by ultrasound and inserted though the abdomen to draw a small amount of amniotic fluid and the child’s DNA Test will be done on this fluid sample. Amniocentesis is the collection of amniotic fluid; this is the fluid that contains the fetus inside the uterus.
There are instances in life when parents doubt the paternity of a child and this can be emotionally disturbing for them both, finding out later if the child is not biologically yours can be mentally disturbing not only for the father but for the child as well. For the sake of all parties, the best thing to do is to determine paternity to clear these doubts in mind with the use of Prenatal DNA paternity testing.
