Minimum Age for DNA Testing?
Patients often ask us if there is a minimum age for DNA testing. The quick answer to this question is no, there isn’t.
A person’s DNA is established when conception occurs—when the egg cell is fertilized by the sperm cell. From this point on, the individual’s DNA generally does not change.
Because of this fact, paternity testing is possible even before birth. Beta Paternity can often perform prenatal paternity testing if the mother is between 10 and 24 weeks pregnant. The prenatal sample is collected by an OB-GYN through either chorionic villi sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. The mother and alleged father collect their own samples using the buccal swab technique. Because the baby’s DNA will not change after birth, a prenatal paternity test produces results that are just as reliable as those of a standard paternity test.
When prenatal testing is not an option, a paternity test can be performed with a newborn baby. Buccal swabbing is a fast and painless sample collection procedure, and it can be done safely on a baby immediately after delivery.
If you are pregnant and have questions about your child’s paternity, Beta Paternity may be able to help. Please visit our Home Paternity Testing and Prenatal Paternity Testing pages to learn more about these services. Or call 1-800-798-3810 to speak with one of our helpful paternity specialists.
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on Thursday, July 20th, 2006 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Home Paternity Tests.
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