4 Myths of a Paternity DNA Test

1. For a DNA test you are required to take a blood sample. 

At dadcheck, our samples are taken using sterile mouth swabs which are provided in the DNA testing kit. Simply rub the swab around around the inside of your mouth 10-15 times and return to the sampling tube. We recommend that participants of the test don’t eat, drink or smoke for approximately 1 hour before taking the sample to avoid contamination. Our sample collection is 100% painless and easy.

2. You cannot do a DNA test without the mother.

For a DNA test for your own personal information, we do not need the mother to participate, although we strongly recommend that she does. The participation of the mother greatly helps to increase the statistics for your final report and makes the results so much more conclusive. For this reason, the mother may take part in any of our DNA tests for no extra charge.

3. You need the father of the child to take part in the DNA test to establish paternity. 

If the father of the child is not willing to take part in the DNA test, we can still establish the paternity of a child by testing relatives of the father via an avuncular, grandparentage or sibling DNA test.

• If the father has any known full siblings, we can do an avuncular test to determine if this individual and the child are related as aunt/uncle and niece/nephew.
• If the father’s parents are available and willing to take part in the DNA test, we can carry out a grandparentage DNA test to identify if the tested individual and the child are related as grandparent and grandchild.
• If the alleged father has any other children, we can carry out a sibling DNA test to determine if the two children are related as full siblings, half siblings or unrelated.

For such complex tests, we always recommend that the mother of the child(ren) takes part in the DNA test as she helps to make the results so much more conclusive.

4. The mother must sign consent on the child’s behalf if they are under the age of 16. 

For any donors under the age of 16, we require a person with Parental Responsibility to sign consent on the child’s behalf. This is usually the mother, but the father can also sign consent on behalf of the child if he has one of the following:

• Is named as the father on the child’s birth certificate on those births registered after December 2003.
• By being married to the child’s mother.
• By obtaining a court order by being granted a Child Arrangement Order.

In these cases, we will also ask to see proof of Parental Responsibility.