Can the test be done without testing the mother?
Yes. The test can be done without the mother. A “motherless” test is not as accurate as the same test with the mother. Even without the mother we still guarantee at least a 99.99% probability of paternity. But if the mother is not tested it is necessary to do additional testing in order to achieve that level of accuracy. 2. Why does mom need to be tested? (Since we already know she is the mother.) Children receive half of their DNA from their mother and half from their father. By comparing the mother and child’s DNA we can tell which parts of the child’s DNA came from the mother, because they match exactly. This lets us know that the remaining part of the child’s DNA came from the biological father—so we know what to compare to the tested man. But without mom, we cannot eliminate part of the child’s DNA. So even if the tested man is matching part of the child’s DNA, we don’t know if he is matching parts that came from the biological father, or from the mother. Without the mother, the
Yes, but it is better to test the mother if possible. Her genetic profile should be compared to the child’s, to exclude alleles in common. Otherwise testing of the alleged father to determine paternity must be more extensive to acheive a probablility of paternity of 99.9999%. Testing of the mother is basically free of charge, as testing costs are the same to encourage testing the mother whenever possible. Can a Paternity test be performed before the baby is born? Yes, but it generally is not a good idea. Amniocentesis is an invasive procedure that involves inserting a needle into the mother’s abdomen to withdraw a small amount (10 ml) of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac which surrounds the developing fetus. This procedure can lead to damage or loss of the baby in up to 1% of cases. As a result, it is recommended that patients wait until the baby is born unless they are already undergoing this procedure for medical reasons. A sample can be collected after the birthing process and do
