DNA Testing FAQ

YES. DNA paternity testing is so powerful that testing can be performed when the mother is not available. If the mother is not tested, and the patterns between the child and the alleged father do not match, then he is still 100% excluded from being the biological father. If the patterns do match, we can calculate a 99% or greater probability of paternity.

There are no age restrictions with DNA paternity testing. Traditional blood testing required that a child should be at least six months old. In addition, a large sample, usually two big tubes of blood, was required. This would be very difficult on a small child. However, DNA paternity testing only requires a few drops of blood (1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon), or cheek cells collected by swabbing the mouth. This small amount of blood, or cheek swab, permits the testing of newborns and infants. Since DNA is set at conception, a paternity test can be performed before the child is born, through Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS) or Amniocentesis.

With the home DNA test kit, we ask that the samples be taken and sent to the lab within two weeks of each other (for best results).  Samples have been tested up to 1 year old with positive results.  It is the purchasers responsibility to collect the samples if parties are in different locations.  The kit must be received by the lab using the mailer that comes with the kit with all samples necessary to complete the test.

Yes, as long as certain tests are avoided. The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) specifically states that children under six months of age may not be tested for the serum proteins Gm and Km. Other tests can be accurately performed on children under six months of age, including red cell antigens, leukocyte antigens (HLA), and DNA.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material in the cells of your body. Every nucleated cell has 46 chromosomes, except the sperm cells from the man and the egg of the woman which only contain 23 chromosomes each. At the moment of conception, there are 46 chromosomes necessary to create a person. Thus, a person receives half of his/her genetic material or DNA from the biological mother, and the other half from the biological father.

DNA testing is much more than a blood test. It can be performed on a much wider variety of samples, including blood cells, cheek cells, tissue samples, and semen. Every person’s DNA is unique except for identical twins. Since it is so specific, just like a fingerprint, DNA testing is a powerful form of identity testing.

Paternity means fatherhood. Paternity is established when a paternity testing laboratory uses genetic testing methods to demonstrate, to a legal standard, that an alleged father is the biological father. Paternity is disproved when these same methods and standards demonstrate that an alleged father is not the biological father.

No. Private individuals can take a DNA test without a physician’s request or court order.

At-home tests are often called “peace of mind” or “curiosity” tests because while they can help establish paternity, the results might not be admissible in a court of law. An AABB-accredited test, provided by a laboratory uses a strict chain of custody procedure that is required for results to hold up in legal situations. Accredited test sample collection is performed by a professional, usually at a clinic or laboratory.

Yes, test results are strictly confidential. They are released only to the adult persons who were tested and, as requested, to their authorized agents (e.g. attorneys).

A DNA paternity test is the most accurate form of paternity testing possible. If the DNA patterns between the child and the alleged father do not match on two or more DNA probes, then that alleged father is 100% excluded which means he has a 0% probability of paternity–he cannot be the biological father of the child.

If the DNA patterns between the mother, child and the alleged father match on every DNA probe, then we are able to calculate a probability of paternity of 99.9% or greater. This result indicates that he is “practically proven” to be the biological father of the child. Most of all the courts in the U.S. accepts 99.0% as proof of paternity.