Home >> DNA Testing Services >> Prenatal Paternity Testing

Pre-Natal DNA Testing

A Prenatal DNA Paternity Test enables you to determine the paternity of a child before the child is born. This test is conducted by taking a sample of DNA from the unborn child and comparing it with the DNA of the mother and alleged father. We do not perform this test as there is a slight chance of miscarriage. We highly recommend that a person wait till the child is born and perform a DNA test then.

A PreNatal DNA Paternity testing is as accurate as a regular DNA Paternity Test. This is possible because a person inherits their DNA at the moment of conception. Human DNA does not change and is the same throughout a person's life.

The difference between a standard paternity test and a prenatal test is the way in which the DNA Samples are obtained. With a standard paternity test the DNA samples are obtained using oral fluid swabs, while Pre Natal DNA sample are collected differently.

PreNatal DNA test samples are collected in one of two ways depending on the stage of pregnancy. The DNA sample of the developing child is collected by an Obstetrician using either Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or Amniocentesis. CVS is generally performed between the 11th and 15th week of pregnancy and involves collecting cells from the placenta using a catheter through the vagina. Amniocentesis is generally performed between the 14th and 24th week of pregnancy. Fetal cells that have been released into the amniotic fluid are collected by inserting a needle into the abdomen.

Both of these procedures carry a very slight risk, and the implications of this test must be discussed with your Obstetrician.