DNA Paternity Testing Facts

If you need to submit samples for DNA Paternity Testing you need to ensure that the company you are using is reliable, accredited and has a reputation within the industry for producing high quality results and where necessary advice on interpretation.

A paternity analysis usually involves taking DNA samples from the child, mother and the purported father. These samples are then analysed and DNA profiles produced from each of the 3 donors. The DNA Paternity results are a series of bands, which represent the different regions of DNA which are analysed within the testing protocol. Given that DNA is inherited, with half coming from the father and half from the mother, any two bands within the childs profile will follow ths pattern of inheritance. We can use this information to compare the childs profile to the mother and purported father to see if we have a ‘match’.

If a purported father is not the true biological father of the child, this will be very clearly evident from the profile obtained. This exclusion is 100% and there can be no doubt in the result as long as good laboratory practice has been followed, and the authenticity of the source of samples is guaranteed. If on the other hand half the components in a childs profile match the components present in the fathers samples, a statistic needs to be calculated in order to assess the value of the match. Depending on the company you’ve used and the DNA probes that have been applied to the samples, you’ll get a result that has a certainty level that ranges from 99% to 99.99%.

If you wish to use the DNA test results in court, you need to ensure the paternity dna test kits you use are accepted by the relevant authorities, and that you can demonstrate the continuity of samples from when they were taken to arrival at the testing facility. This is a critical requirement and can make the difference between a result being admissable or not.

Paternity testing is a complex area, and you need to ensure you are well informed before you submit you samples to a company, where the outcome could genuinely be life changing. Click on any of the links in this article for more information.