tagged: at home paternity test, featured, genetic disorders, genetic testing, legal paternity test, prenatal paternity test

Evaluating the Benefits of a Paternity Test

Posted by Paternity Test in Paternity Tests & Legalities

Paternity tests are performed for a variety of reasons and are useful beyond just establishing paternity. Some of the benefits might not be common knowledge, such as using a paternity test to simultaneously check for genetic disorders in the baby. The following are some of the benefits that can come from paternity testing.

Peace of Mind at Home

One of the main benefits of performing a DNA test is to establish paternity is giving the parents peace of mind regarding the who the father of the child truly is. Sometimes, fidelity is a problem and the paternity of the baby might come into question. Having an at home paternity test done will ease the minds of everyone and the father is likely to develop a stronger bond with the child since DNA testing can’t be questioned. Establishing paternity can also bring the parents closer together and encourage a healthier home life for everyone.

Other times, multiple partners are the issue and it becomes important to identify the biological father not only to ease the stress of not knowing but to provide the child access to the true father. If the mother isn’t married to the father, establishing paternity will help down the road when the child needs financial support and access to legal and social rights assigned to children whose parents are known.

Legal Protection

Often, paternity tests are required for legal reasons. The benefits of legally establishing paternity include holding the father responsible for child support and helping with medical bills. Once paternity is established via a legal paternity test, financial help can be sought from the rightful father. Also, under the law, a woman’s husband is considered the father of the baby once the baby is born unless the husband signs a denial of paternity and the biological father signs an acknowledgment of paternity (AOP). Otherwise, legal action must be taken to strip the husband of paternal rights and assign them to the biological father via a paternity test. Furthermore, paternity fraud has recently become an issue. Officially establishing paternity can help stop fraud from occurring.

Discover Genetic Disorders

Genetic testing can be done in combination with paternity testing, especially if you must perform a prenatal paternity test. Genetic testing can analyze the same DNA sample used for paternity testing to test for certain abnormalities, genetic disorders, or birth defects in the baby. These include Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and Progeria. If you have any specific concerns regarding genetic disorders, talk to a doctor or genetic counselor prior to having a paternity test done so that you can be advised on how to best go about testing for both paternity and any genetic disorders.

Are Paternity Tests Invasive?

The good news of paternity tests is that, in most cases, they aren’t invasive procedures. Some paternity and genetic tests can be done fairly easily using a cheek swab to obtain DNA. Other forms of DNA retrieval include taking blood samples, umbilical cord samples, and non-standard DNA samples from hair, semen, or tissue.

Once you decide to perform a paternity test, get informed on the variety of options available to you and choose the one that works best for your situation.