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Prenatal testing is a means of knowing whether the alleged father of a child is the biological father or not- unlike regular or standard paternity tests however, this test is carried out during pregnancy. The test is, for some, rather controversial because of the invasive procedure it involves and is not carried out by homeDNAdirect Canada.

The prenatal test can be one of a number of tests and amongst these, it can be used as a DNA test to determine paternity. A paternity test can be done for legal and peace of mind purposes and this stands for the prenatal test as well. However, the following are also types of prenatal tests from a medical perspective:

Many prenatal tests are in fact carried out to ensure the baby is developing healthily in the mother’s womb.

  • Pre-natal screening- mainly the ultra sound carried out during set periods as pregnancy progresses. Sometimes there can also be the testing of the mother’s blood.
  • Prenatal diagnostic tests are done to see whether the child has any kind of problems. Prenatal tests are great in that they offer parents to follow the progress of the child but also problematic in that they may choose to abort the child if it is handicapped or deformed. The 2 main types of tests here are the Chorionic Villus Sampling and Amniocentesis.

Another test which is far less diffused is the one used prior to egg implantation in In-Vitro fertilization treatment; this is known as pre-implementation genetic diagnosis.

Prenatal testing and Paternity

The prenatal DNA test for paternity will of course require a DNA sample from the putative father. A DNA sample is collected from the baby by Amniocentesis (13-19 weeks) or Chorionic Villus Sampling (11-13 weeks).

Both procedures require going under anesthetic and must of course be carried out by a qualified obstetric surgeon or gynecologist. Establishing paternity before the birth of the child is thus, possibly, extremely costly and as with any invasive procedure may carry risks; amongst these risks, infection at the point in which the needle punctures the skin or in extreme cases harm to the unborn child by creating undue stress in the womb.

To enter the womb, the surgeon uses an ultra sound which will guide the needle through the abdomen. Once this is done, loose cell matter can be collected and used for laboratory analysis.

A choice to consider would definitely be to wait till the birth of the child and take a paternity test by simply swabbing the child with an oral swab and saving any risks as well as the considerable costs involved.

Prenatal testing for paternity is not very often carried out and homeDNAdirect Canada does not offer prenatal tests.

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