DNA Paternity Testing During Pregnancy
There is no way to positively tell by looking at individuals if a man is the father of a child, so men often demand paternity testing to confirm that they are indeed the father. Other times a paternity test may be requested for custody reasons during a divorce or if the parents are not married when the child is born. DNA paternity testing is usually done by drawing blood from the child and comparing it to the father's. It's possible, however, to have this test done during pregnancy if desired.
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Function
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A DNA paternity test is used when the father of a child is unknown or wants confirmation on his fatherhood. A woman can also request a paternity test if she is unsure about who the father of her child is, or wants to use the information in court against the father or man who thinks he is the father. The function of a prenatal paternity test is to find out this information before the child is born.
Identifying Factors
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There are two different procedures for this test. One way is called "chronic villi sampling." In this process, cells are collected from the placenta using a vaginal catheter or a long, hollow needle through the stomach. Which is used depends on how the fetus is positioned. The other method is called amniocentesis, in which a long needle is inserted into the stomach to collect the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus in the uterus.
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Benefits
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Knowing the father of a child has many benefits, the biggest of which is, of course, allowing the real father to be a part of the child's life and to be a father figure. Another benefit is the opportunity to give the baby the correct surname, as it can be difficult to change after one man's name is entered on a birth certificate. One other benefit of prenatal DNA paternity testing is to request child support from the correct man.
Considerations
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The biggest consideration with prenatal paternity testing is which method will be used to collect the samples needed from the fetus. This depends on how far along the pregnancy is. If the woman is 10 to 13 weeks along, chronic villi sampling is needed. If she is in the 14th through the 24th week, amniocentesis is necessary. It is unsafe to perform this procedure after the 24th week of a pregnancy.
Warnings
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Amniocentesis is a very risky and serious procedure. Something like 2 out of 300 instances of amniocentesis results in a miscarriage. This is a very serious fact to consider when contemplating a prenatal paternity test. If there are problems with the pregnancy or if it is considered a high-risk pregnancy, a woman's doctor will likely strongly recommend against such a test in the best interest of the fetus, and the mother has the right to refuse a test on this basis.
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