One of the most sensitive topics yet seems to be common these days is about prenatal paternity test. This is because the subject involves ethical and moral issues, as well as the risk of going through an invasive test. In fact, there are some cases where the result of the test is unacceptable or unexpected that the woman may decide to abort the baby. This is why some doctors are not willing to perform the test, particularly if the only reason for doing it is just to confirm the true biological father of the baby.
So, if you are considering of taking a prenatal paternity test, it helps to know what are the things involved, especially the risks for you and your baby. Talk it out to your doctor or midwife and they can help you on this matter. And to give you an idea what you’ll going to deal with as you go through the process, here are some important things to learn.
- The required DNA samples
Since the baby inherits both its parents’ DNA, a prenatal paternity test can determine if a man is the father by getting samples of DNA from the man, the pregnant woman, and the unborn baby. These will then be brought and analysed in the lab.
The DNA from the man and the pregnant woman can be obtained either through a sample of cheek cells or a blood sample. In case, legal issues are involved in getting the result, DNA samples should be collected and analysed under strict conditions.
- The risks involved
The last DNA sample will come from the unborn baby that the pregnant woman will also provide. It means a sample of fluid from her womb or a tissue from the placenta will be collected. It can be done by inserting a needle through the woman’s abdomen, a process called amniocentesis. The alternative procedure is to pass a small tube through the vagina and the cervix, otherwise known as chorionic villus sampling. Both of these processes have a small yet significant risk of miscarriage.
The good news is that there’s an alternative to those invasive procedures which is completely free of risk. It’s known as the non-invasive prenatal paternity testing (NIPP) that’s simply done by taking a blood sample from the pregnant woman. The DNA of the fetus can then be determined from the sample and compared it to the probable father. So, if your main purpose for a prenatal paternity test is just to confirm the true father of your child, this method could be your best option.