Is it possible to establish paternity during pregnancy?

Various statistical surveys show that from 15 to 40% of men are not the biological fathers of the children they raise, often without even knowing it. But nowadays there is a reliable way to establish a relationship between fathers and their children - a DNA test. Only this analysis allows us to determine with high accuracy whether the man is the biological father of the child. In recent years, it has become possible to establish paternity not only after the birth of a baby, but also during pregnancy. This procedure is especially popular if paternity determination is necessary before the baby is born.

Is it possible to conduct a DNA test to confirm paternity during pregnancy?

Relationships between men and women regarding marriage, its dissolution, and the birth of children can develop differently.
There are often cases when a potential father of a baby doubts the fact of conceiving a child, giving weighty arguments and justifying his position. Today, the only accurate confirmation of paternity is a DNA test. The fact is that deoxyribonuclinic acid, being in a woman’s cell, contains the genetic information of real parents.
The point of such a study is to compare the DNA material of the child in the womb and the data of the father, after which it is possible to conclude that paternity is up to 99%.

Test results

The results of the tests become known, on average, within 7 - 10 days from the date of the test. The main feature of the interpretation of DNA tests is that the study allows us to establish the absence of relationship with a result accuracy of 100 percent, but the possibility of an alleged relationship depends on the number of matching DNA fragments and varies from 99 to 99.99 percent. This discrepancy is due, first of all, to the special configuration of the equipment and the possibility of conceiving a baby from the identical brother - the twin of the alleged father. To use the results of the examination in court proceedings, the percentage of agreement must be at least 99.65.

Carrying out the test during pregnancy - reasons

During pregnancy, all activities of healthcare professionals are aimed at preserving the fetus, its development without pathologies, and maintaining a satisfactory state of health of the expectant mother. In the usual practice of observing a gynecologist, this type of research is not required. It can only be implemented on the initiative of the woman or the potential father of the child.

Mother's initiative

In the case when a woman has doubts about the relationship of the alleged candidate for father and expresses a desire to carry out the procedure, this option is considered in consultation with a leading gynecologist, since when penetrating the uterus to collect material for research, there is a risk of infection of the fetus.
Before it is carried out, the pregnant woman must give written consent to the intervention, because such an event could theoretically harm the child and the woman, which would become a real threat to the delivery process.

Father's initiative

There are situations when the husband or partner of a pregnant woman insists on carrying out an examination even before the birth, as he is making plans to establish paternity.
The test will be carried out if the woman agrees and it does not pose a threat to the baby, but if she refuses and her position does not change, DNA material will not be collected, and accordingly the procedure is postponed until the child is born.

Only men who are not in an official marriage registered with the registry office have the right to establish the legal fact of paternity, and circumstances related to objective reasons prevent them from applying to this institution during pregnancy (for example, the future father is on a long business trip, or undergoing treatment in a medical organization). In the case of a registered marriage, paternity is established automatically.

No one can oblige a pregnant woman or a healthcare institution to hold an event, since the matter concerns the preservation of the life and health of the expectant mother and baby.

Is it possible to get DNA done during pregnancy?

How expedient it is to implement the procedure for obtaining DNA test results specifically at the stage of pregnancy is decided by the patient with the consent of the doctor, so it is definitely impossible to talk about harmlessness or predictable consequences for the fetus.

Who conducts

Activities to study genetic material and obtain it from the patient are carried out in specialized clinics that are licensed and have the legal right to conduct such procedures. They are carried out only by highly qualified doctors - obstetricians-gynecologists who have experience in conducting such manipulations in order to eliminate the risks of complications, because incorrect DNA sampling can have certain consequences for the fetus and mother.

Determination procedure

Determination of paternity during pregnancy can occur in two ways:

• invasive (by obtaining DNA by entering the uterus);
• non-invasive (the material is taken without examining the uterine area, through the blood of the potential father and the pregnant woman).

The number of weeks also plays a big role; the test will be more informative at a later date, when the child is already formed. In the period of 10-12 weeks, there is a high risk of inaccuracy of the result; specialists have to compare the baby’s DNA with the mother’s DNA to ensure the proportion of error.

With invasive methods, the contents are obtained using the following methods:

• the chromosome set of the fetus for research is taken using a catheter through the vagina, or with a syringe through the abdomen (chorionic villus biopsy);
• the placenta, which contains the baby's DNA cells, as a material for determining paternity, is received through a puncture of the abdomen with a syringe (placentocentesis);
• obtaining amniotic fluid through a puncture of the abdominal cavity with a syringe (amniocentesis);
• collection of umbilical cord blood during puncture of the anterior abdominal wall (cordocentesis);
• biopsy of the child's skin (using penetration into the uterus under ultrasound guidance).

A non-invasive method of examining a child’s genetics involves donating blood from the mother and potential father; it is used when the parents want to carry out the procedure, but for objective reasons in order to preserve the baby’s health, this cannot be done with medical intervention. This method also reveals paternity with an accuracy of 99.9%.

Deadlines for issuing tests

Future parents, who want to quickly receive an answer to the question of whether a man is the father of a child, ask hospitals and clinics that provide medical services how long after the examination they can expect the result.
In most cases, this period ranges from 5 to 14 days, the longest period is 2 weeks.

During this time, the study is carried out in hospitals that carry out such activities as one of the procedures from the total number of diagnostics. There are specialized clinical laboratories that only accept tests; they provide results faster, within 5 days.

Method of collecting genetic material from a child

New opportunities in the field of diagnostics have made it possible to determine paternity in the womb in the early stages. When choosing how the genetic material will be taken, you should proceed from what the gynecologist recommends and what the period of pregnancy is at that moment. There are two collection methods:

1. Invasive - allowed to be carried out exclusively in a medical institution. And all because there is a possible danger to the health of mother and baby. It is not at all necessary to go to a hospital or private clinics. There are laboratories that do not accept patients, but only do chemical tests, including DNA tests.

When using these methods, the material will be:

• chorionic hairs;
• amniotic fluid;
• baby's cord blood.

1. Non-invasive antenatal DNA testing

Now this method is not widespread, however, it has a leading advantage over other tests, since complications after its implementation are not observed in either the mother or the child. The best time to conduct the study begins at 4 months of pregnancy (if a Y chromosome is detected). The closer the birth is, the greater the chances of finding an independent DNA chromosome of the embryo in the mother’s blood plasma.

The study participant is given a special certificate indicating the percentage of genetic material match: 99.99% - paternity is confirmed, 0% - excluded.

Now let's talk about the cost of these tests. Let's look at the example of Moscow, how much it costs to order a paternity test. The difference in the cost of individual methods is significant. The non-invasive method is almost three times more expensive than the invasive method (60–90 and 20–30 thousand rubles, respectively). This is explained, first of all, by the fact that it is a safe and high-tech method.

How to recognize the future dad during early pregnancy

There is an opinion that it is necessary to conduct a test that will show an accurate result after 24 weeks, since in the early stages the indicator may not be informative.
This is due to the fact that the fetus is not sufficiently formed and the genetic material is not ready for research. In fact, the answer about at what stage of pregnancy to collect contents for testing depends on the diagnostic method that will be used specifically for a particular patient (it is selected taking into account her condition and the presence of pathologies in the baby). For example, chorionic villus sampling is performed at 9 weeks until 12 weeks.

If it is proposed to use a non-invasive method, then the gestation period may be shorter - at 4 or 5 weeks.

Essential father's genetic material

A typical test substance is saliva taken from the inner wall of the cheek. If a woman wants to use individual items that she has kept from men, but she has stopped communicating with them and no longer wants to meet, she has the right to submit for examination what she can find:

• seminal fluid;
• hair with bulbs;
• brush for cleaning teeth;
• used chewing gum;
• cigarette butts;
• dried blood on anything;
• nails;
• earwax.

Non-invasive prenatal test - effectiveness and risks

A non-invasive method for diagnosing the contents of the test is considered gentle and practically does not entail significant complications, since there is no invasion of the amniotic fluid or the woman’s uterus; specialists only take the venous blood of the expectant parents for analysis. Usually its volume does not exceed 18 milliliters. It is placed in a specialized apparatus and is cooled to the required optimal temperature.

After which, the specialist separates the mother’s DNA from the child’s DNA, and then calculates the data using a computer program, which gives the final result as a percentage.

The effectiveness of this method is determined by the safety for the health of the patient and fetus and the accuracy of the analyzed data. The risks of pathological processes and miscarriage are minimized. The only difficulty for mom and dad may be financial support for the procedure.

Testing to establish paternity is important both after childbirth and during pregnancy. It has certain risks for the child and the woman in labor, especially if the procedure is carried out using invasive methods (sampling of material through penetration through the abdominal cavity or uterus). These methods are agreed with the doctor and are carried out only in the absence of pathologies and problems with the woman’s health.

Terms of payment

• The analysis is paid in full on an advance payment basis.
• It is possible to take the test remotely by ordering a special set of test tubes from us. The kit can be purchased from us; it is included in the price of the analysis. The remaining amount is paid after we receive the samples.
• Agreement.

Sample contract for prenatal paternity test

• Payment can be made in cash at our center, through any bank and by credit card on the website.

Payment details

• The result will be provided at your request: in person, by phone, by email, by mail or by courier delivery service.