| DNA paternity testing in its purest form is | | | | as the American Association of Blood Banks |
| the application of DNA technology to provide | | | | (AABB). If the answer is no, do not have your |
| information about the parentage of an | | | | testing done by this company, you may not be |
| individual (usually a child). The mother of | | | | able to rely on the results. |
| the child is rarely disputed, and most of the | | | | |
| time DNA testing is requested to inform the | | | | 2. Does the company carrying out the DNA |
| likely father of a child. | | | | testing have a thorough track-record in this |
| | | | area of work, and have they proved their |
| DNA is inherited from our parents, with half | | | | technology in court? Be wary of companies |
| coming from the mother, and the other half | | | | that sub-contract their testing. DNA profile |
| from the father. This pattern of inheritance | | | | interpretation can be a tricky business,and |
| allows the opportunity where the mother of | | | | there is a lot at stake when you commission a |
| the child is not disputed, to produce a | | | | DNA test, and you want reassurance on the |
| putative DNA profile of the biological | | | | reliability of your service provider. |
| father. The process is relatively simple in | | | | |
| that the final DNA profile of the child is | | | | 3. Is the company you are planning to use an |
| composed of a series of bands which can only | | | | accredited laboratory or merely a broker? |
| come from the two parents. If the mother's | | | | Brokers are simply in this game to make |
| bands are deducted from the child profile the | | | | money, and have no interest in the quality or |
| remainder must come from the biological | | | | the impact of this life changing technology. |
| father. Any male that may consider himself | | | | Avoid them irrespective of the tempting |
| the father can have a DNA profile produced | | | | pricing they may offer you. |
| and compared against the remaining bands in | | | | |
| the child's profile. | | | | 4. What degree of certainty does the company |
| | | | provide in relation to the results of the |
| There can only be two outcomes from this type | | | | tests? An exclusion should be 100% with an |
| of comparison. The first is a 'no-match' | | | | inclusion at, at least 99.99% confidence |
| scenario where the remaining bands in the | | | | levels. These are the figures that are |
| child's profile could not have come from the | | | | expected in a court of law. |
| sample obtained from the alleged father. This | | | | |
| is known as exclusion and eliminates the | | | | 5. Does the internal quality standard require |
| possibility of this individual being the | | | | duplication of all results before they are |
| biological father of the child. The second is | | | | reported to the customer? This is an industry |
| a 'match' scenario where the remaining bands | | | | standard requirement which is often |
| in the child's profile could all be accounted | | | | overlooked by some of the 'cheaper' DNA |
| for by comparison with the alleged father. If | | | | testing providers. |
| this is the case the significance of the | | | | |
| match needs to be assessed by a DNA | | | | If the answer to any of these questions is |
| interpretation expert who will provide a | | | | unclear, my strong advice is to find an |
| degree of certainty associated with the | | | | alternative provider. You simply do not want |
| likelihood that the alleged male is the | | | | to trust such an important piece of work to a |
| biological father of the child. | | | | company that does not guarantee a top quality |
| | | | product, with excellent customer care |
| Before you commission any Paternity DNA | | | | back-up. |
| testing you should be sure you have clear | | | | |
| answers to the following 5 key questions: | | | | If you want to find out more about DNA |
| | | | Paternity Testing click on the links in the |
| 1. Has the DNA testing facility been | | | | author section below. |
| accredited by a validated external body such | | | | |