Good Parenting

Today, it’s now possible to take a paternity test in the privacy of your home without the need for traveling to a lab or waiting weeks for your results to be calculated. However, with in-home DNA testing, there are certain facts one should know before attempting to establish paternity, whether it be for legal purposes, or purely for personal knowledge, such as matters of chain of custody, the various fees involved, and how much experience the lab that’s doing the testing actually has.

Chain of Custody

A strict protocol known as the chain of custody must be followed in order for a home paternity test to be considered valid for use in a court of law. Samples must be collected by a disinterested, third party, usually either a healthcare professional or representative from the laboratory, following the accurate identification of the parties being tested. Packed and sealed with tamperproof tape, the samples are sent to the lab and then thoroughly inspected for tampering before the testing process even begins and then continues on until completed.

Choosing a Testing Company

Doing your homework first before choosing one DNA testing company over another is definitely worth the minimal time needed. Be sure to learn the laboratory’s experience in both matters of biotechnology and genetics, as well as the training details and credentials of the staff.

Some of the largest testing companies offer paternity testing as merely a side venture, rather than as their main focus and therefore may not have the highly trained professionals that others who focus solely on this type of genetic testing would employ.

Fees

While opting for the lowest price of anything is usually the smartest move, this may not necessarily be true for things such as home paternity tests. The first thing to be wary of is hidden fees, so be sure to fully understand the total expense before ordering a testing kit.

A large number of companies offer free in-home testing kits, with many even including free postage for returning the completed kit. Most entities will also provide additional kits at no charge if the original failed to produce results for some reason.

The Collection Process

The vast majority of in-home DNA paternity tests utilize what is known as the buccal swab technique, with buccal simply meaning the cheek. This completely painless method is also quick and is able to accurately determine not only paternity, but also maternity, siblingship and grandparentship.

The buccal swab resembles a large cotton swab and is swiped and swirled around up against the inside of the cheek for a few seconds. Each swab, one from the child, the mother and the possible biological father, are put into separate envelopes labeled with the person’s name and bits of identifying personal information.

Receiving the Results

Paternity test results are usually complete within a short period of three to five days with most laboratories, and the methods of receiving them may vary with some companies featuring results sent by postal mail, and others offering options such as email, telephone, and via their website.

As far as accuracy is concerned, DNA paternity testing is able to exclude a man from being the father with 100% certainty, and most laboratories claim probability rates of over 99% when establishing paternity.