Hospitals do not conduct paternity tests unless the situation is an exceptional situation and coordinated with hospital administration for approval. The approval process must be done by the parents of the child or through legal mandates. The role of hospitals is to provide care and comfort to the child and mother’s health during the process of having a baby. With that focus in mind hospitals do not conduct DNA tests but they could recommend a testing facility that the baby can be taken to soon after birth for the test to be done.
Can a Paternity DNA test be done only after birth?
Paternity DNA testing is an emotional situation especially when parents have doubts about the father of the child. A Paternity DNA test provides couples peace of mind and also clarity on fatherhood. The timeline of the paternity test plays into the timelines of pregnancy.
Paternity tests can be done soon after a child is born. The process is simple, painless and accurate as a cheek swab is taken from the child / newborn and matches the cheek swab of the father. It is highly recommended that a mother’s cheek swab is also taken but it is not required for the accuracy of the test. The test provides 99.9999% accuracy of results. This test can be conducted as an at home test. However, if the test is required by the court system, the same test must be conducted under a strict chain of custody and by a qualified tester resident at an AABB accredited laboratory.
Results of the test can be provided to you within 3 – 4 business days. We will notify you as soon as the results are in and provide you with the results as requested by you.
Paternity Tests before Birth.
Some couples need to know if the father is the biological father that the couple is expecting. Laws in different states vary but it is highly encouraged that time for tests and legal custody and child support can be impacted with delays.
There is no law that prohibits a paternity DNA test without the consent of the mother if it is done for peace of mind only. A court ordered Paternity DNA test must be conducted with all parties providing full consent to the test.
Paternity Tests before birth called a Non-Invasive Paternity Test (NIPP), can be conducted if the mother is at least seven weeks into her pregnancy. A NIPP test is safe for both mother and child. It requires a blood draw from the mother and a cheek swab from the father. This test can be conducted as a legal or non-legal test. A legal Paternity NIPP test must be done at an AABB accredited facility like SmarTest Labs. We use a strict chain of custody in our testing process and our testers are qualified and trained to collect the samples.
The results of this test can be made available to the couple within 4 – 5 business days. The accuracy level of the results is 99.999%.
Is NIPP Testing Safe and why
NIPP testing is safe for both mothers and babies. In the past the procedure to test for a Paternity DNA test involved taking amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). This procedure was invasive and could cause a loss of the fetus due to the procedure. Hence, the newer NIPP tests have taken on a more prominent role in Paternity testing for an unborn child.
NIPP tests analyze the free-floating fetal DNA from the mother’s blood sooner (7 weeks into her pregnancy) as opposed to previous tests that require a 13-week lead time before a test could be conducted. This provides couples with faster results and peace of mind.
Accurate and timely results
When you work with SmarTest Labs, an accredited AABB laboratory, you can we assured that your test will be handled with care and under strict chain of custody. Expedited results are available and we can guide you through that process.
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