Can a DNA test happen before a baby is born?

On Behalf of | Jul 18, 2018 | family law |

You have been informed that you may be the father of a baby who has not been born yet, and you do not think you can wait until birth to find out. You want to know what rights you have and what obligations you may be facing as soon as possible. Can a DNA test be carried out before the child is born?

It can. This used to be very dangerous, as the tests were highly invasive. There was a potential that the baby could pass away. As such, it was common to have the DNA test carried out with blood or tissue after the child was born.

However, more recent updates allow doctors to use the mother’s blood, rather than the baby’s. This is noninvasive, it does not risk the baby’s life in any way and it still gives you the results you’re looking for. These tests are still very accurate, but they can happen far sooner.

How soon? The earliest is about eight weeks after the mother becomes pregnant, or roughly two months into the pregnancy. While pregnancy is typically said to take nine months, it actually takes 40 weeks. This means that the mother could still be in the first quarter of the pregnancy and it would be possible for you to find out if you are the father.

As you work through this process, make sure you understand all of your paternal rights. The DNA test is the first step toward officially establishing yourself as the baby’s father and working to have your rights recognized.