Achieving pregnancy is a joyful experience for every woman. However, some women have doubts regarding the paternity of the developing baby and they are unsure if they can get a paternity test while pregnant. Post natal paternity test is always possible but for that to happen the woman has to wait till she successfully delivers a baby. The breakthrough advancements of medical science have made it possible to get a paternity test during pregnancy.
The non-invasive procedure for paternity test is more preferable compared to the invasive paternity test. This test can be performed after 9 weeks of gestation. The non-invasive prenatal paternity test does not possess any serious threat to the woman and her fetus. There are invasive prenatal paternity tests as well but, they do carry a slight chance of miscarriage. Additionally, the other risks associated with the invasive procedure include cramps, loss of amniotic fluid, and risk of vaginal bleeding. Therefore, recommendation of such invasive paternity tests is limited to only a few women who qualify certain conditions.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends performing the paternity test for several reasons. Firstly, the test would establish the benefits related to legal and social grounds, secondly, this would set up the medical history of the baby properly and lastly, this test is believed to reinforce the father and child bonding. Again, the American Pregnancy Association suggests, paternity tests should only be conducted from the labs which are accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). These labs maintain the highest possible standards to yield accurate results for the paternity test. The results are more than 99% accurate
It is not unusual for a pregnant woman to be unsure about when she needs to go for the paternity test and which among the available paternity tests is the best. In this situation, she can either consult the gynecologist or consult online at the labs accredited by AABB. The AABB website has the list of labs engaged in paternity tests.
There are many states in the US having strict laws to fill up an Acknowledgement of Paternity form to determine the father of the unborn child. The DNA paternity test during pregnancy is therefore important and the information filled up is filed with the Bureau of Vital Statistics and is a legal document. Again, there are states that make it mandatory for unmarried couples to go for a paternity test.