Three types of paternity tests if you are unsure of your parentage
Are you a father of a child with doubts about whether you are truly the father? Maybe you yourself are unsure who your biological father is. Or are you pregnant and unsure who the future co-parent is? In all these cases, dna testing for paternity is a good idea. This way, you can find the answers to this important question and give yourself, your child and your partner peace of mind. Find out more about the different types of paternity tests you can take.
Home paternity testing
The easiest test you can take, is the home paternity test. This test is ideal to set your own mind at rest, but you should not consider this test if you are planning to take things to court. With a home paternity test, you yourself will collect the required DNA samples. These are usually cheek swabs. Because the collection of the DNA cannot be verified, a court will not see the results of this test as valid. That doesn’t make them any less reliable, however. With a home paternity test, you simply take your samples, send them to the lab, and receive your results one to two business days after the lab has analysed them. You can get an answer to that nagging question about your parentage within just a couple of days.
Prenatal paternity test
If the baby who’s parentage is in doubt hasn’t been born yet, a prenatal dna paternity test can provide answers. This test is non-invasive, totally safe for both mother and child and can be performed as early as 7 weeks into the pregnancy. DNA samples are collected by taking blood from the mother and a cheek swab from the father. After the samples have been collected, it will take about three to eight days before you receive your results. Extra bonus: you can also find out the gender of your baby through this test!
Legal paternity testing
If you are planning to use the results of a DNA test in court cases around child support, custody, immigration, birth certificate or Social Security, it is important that you choose a test that is recognized by the court. These kinds of tests should be performed on site, as the collection of DNA needs to be witnessed, and all participants should be verified. If you are looking for a legal paternity test, it is best to contact a laboratory directly. They will be able to help point you in the right direction.