How old does the child have to be before he/she can be tested?
Children can be tested for paternity even before they are born, so there is no age limit on when a paternity test can be done. DNA testing can be performed on a very small blood sample (about 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon) or a moth swab (buccal swab), so newborns and infants can be easily tested. To test paternity before birth requires that Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS) or Amniocentesis be performed to gather appropriate cells. DNA testing can also be performed post-mortem by collecting specimens at the coroner’s office.
