Who's the father of my child?

Dear Reader, 

Figuring out who the father of your child is doesn’t need to be a whole song and dance, even though it might seem that way from Mamma Mia!. There are several ways you can get to the bottom of your child’s paternity. While using blood types of your child, potential fathers, and yourself might be a cheap option you can do at home, it’s not the most accurate and won’t stand up to legal standards. At most, this can help eliminate who the father is not but won’t prove who the father is. To learn about accurate ways to find out the identity of the father of your child, read on! 

Can you test for paternity using blood types?  

Short answer, no you cannot test for paternity using blood types. The kind of blood you have—type A, B, AB, or O—depends on your biological parents’ blood types. Usually, the child will have every possible combination of the types of blood each parent has, plus type O blood if neither of the parents is already type O. But there are some exceptions! For example, if one parent has AB type blood, it’s impossible for their child to have type O blood and vice versa—if a parent has type O blood, they can’t have a child with type AB blood. This means if: 

• One parent is type A and the other is type B, the child could be type A, B, AB, or O 
• One parent is type A and the other is type A, the child could be type A or O 
• One parent is type AB and the other is type B, the child could be type A, B, or AB 
• One parent is type O and the other is type A, the child could be type A or O 
• One parent is type O and the other is type AB, the child could be type A or B 

Ultimately this means that this type of testing can eliminate potential fathers if their blood type is incompatible with that of the child, but it can’t confirm or prove potential fathers as a biological parent. 

Rhesus (Rh) factor is what determines the plus or minus next to your blood type. While Rh factors are also inherited from your biological parents, Rh factors aren't used to test for paternity. 

What are DNA paternity tests?  

Paternity testing, which typically analyzes DNA (the carrier of genetic information) is the only method of definitively establishing biological parenthood. DNA paternity testing is greater than 99 percent effective in both naming and eliminating possible fathers. You can determine paternity via DNA tests before and after the baby is born.  

If you want to test for paternity while you’re pregnant, the potential father’s DNA from a cheek swab is compared to the fetus’ DNA, which can be gathered via: 

• Noninvasive prenatal paternity (NIPP) test. After the eighth week of pregnancy, this test, which is 99.9 percent accurate, gathers fetal DNA from a sample of the mother's blood. 
• Amniocentesis. This is an invasive test that takes place during the 15^th through 20^th week of pregnancy. During this test, a needle collects amniotic fluid from the mother’s abdomen. This can carry some risks, including miscarriage or premature labor. 
• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS). This is another invasive test performed between the 10^th and 13^th week of pregnancy, in which a thin needle takes samples from the placenta to gather fetal DNA. Risks of this test include miscarriage and infection.  

Testing for paternity after your child is born is usually done with cheek swabs. Both the child and the potential father take a swab of their cheek and the genetic information in each swab is compared. There are both in-clinic and at-home options available. However, those done at home may not be as accurate and are not admissible in court.  

One thing to consider with these tests is that they’re usually costly and the speedier the service, the more expensive. It’s also important to note that health insurance might not cover the costs of these tests. 

Why might you want to determine paternity? 

Knowing who the biological father of your child can be important for a few reasons. For one, it can help you know about illnesses in your child’s family history. This can be useful when health care professionals ask for this information in order to assess any genetic predispositions to specific illnesses. Determining paternity can also be essential in legal situations, like establishing rights to custody, child support, and social security benefits. 

With modern DNA testing, you can get definitive results that are fast, accurate, and legally valid if needed. Whether you’re seeking peace of mind or clarity for legal reasons, reliable options are available. When it comes to something as important as your child’s parentage, it’s worth going straight to the science. 

Hope this helps!