DNA Testing During Pregnancy
The science of DNA testing has come along way to the point where a paternity test can be carried out during pregnancy. This test does the same job as the paternity test that most of us are more familiar with in that the baby’s DNA is compared with that of the alleged father. This method of testing is just as accurate as the one that is carried out after the child is born since the DNA is set at conception. There are two methods that the OB-GYN will use to obtain the samples needed and they are:
- chorionic villi sampling or,
- amniocentesis
One of the determining factors here is stage of the pregnancy. The Villi sampling is generally carried out in the 10th to 13th week and involves cells being collected from the placenta. Amniocentesis is usually carried out in the 14th to 24th week and here loose fetal cells that have been released into the amniotic fluid are collected.
Either of these procedures is an extremely safe way of DNA testing. As well as not being harmful in any way to the child or the mother, these procedures are very accurate.
