Paternity testing can now be performed as early as 7 weeks of pregnancy (5 weeks after conception). You can test your baby’s DNA before he or she is even born. This article provides information about DNA paternity testing, which can be performed as early as 99.99% while your baby is still in the womb.

When is the earliest time a paternity test can be performed?

Prenatal paternity testing can be done before the baby is born. This test can be done as early as 5 weeks after conception (or 7 weeks after your last menstrual period, which is 7 weeks of pregnancy).

For inquiries about non-invasive prenatal paternity testing, please contact LINE ID: @HealthSmile.

Price 34,800 baht, with home delivery service nationwide

How many methods are there to test paternity before birth?

There are two methods of prenatal paternity testing:

• The traditional method involves amniocentesis or a biopsy of the placenta (Chorionic villus sampling : CVS) for examination, which is an invasive method because it involves inserting a needle into the fetus’s abdomen or placenta to collect cells for examination, which carries the risk of causing a miscarriage.
• There is now a non-invasive method that uses only a blood sample from the mother (cell-free fetal DNA) and a swab of cells from the cheek of the suspected father. This test uses advanced technology to collect fetal DNA found in the mother’s bloodstream called NIPPT (Non-invasive prenatal paternity testing).

This article will primarily discuss the NIPPT test, which is a non-invasive, highly accurate, and low-risk method offered by HealthSmile. Our team is available nationwide. For inquiries, please contact us at LINE ID: @HealthSmile.

The NIPPT test poses no risk to the mother or fetus (unlike invasive prenatal tests that use a needle to remove amniotic fluid directly from the uterus for DNA testing). This prenatal paternity test is provided for peace of mind only and cannot be used for legal purposes.

Read more: How many methods are there for DNA paternity testing? What are the advantages/disadvantages of paternity testing?

Prenatal Paternity DNA Testing (NIPPT)

Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Testing (NIPPT) is a DNA test that confirms the genetic relationship between father and child before birth without risking the mother or fetus. It involves extracting fragments of DNA that have escaped from the fetus’ placenta, called cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA), and comparing them to DNA obtained from the father. Collecting cffDNA is the same method used for NIPT , which screens for Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

NIPPT’s Scientific Principles

NIPPT uses a method of analyzing fetal DNA from the mother’s blood. This technology relies on the detection of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA), which is a fragment of fetal DNA that is released into the mother’s bloodstream. This fragment begins to appear as early as the seventh week of pregnancy and continues to increase in quantity until birth.

In this test, a blood sample is taken from the mother and a DNA sample from the suspected father. The DNA of both is then analyzed and compared to confirm whether the man is the father of the child.

Advantages of NIPPT

• Non-invasive and risk-free for the baby or mother : This test does not require amniocentesis or collection of tissue from the placenta, procedures that carry the risk of miscarriage.
• Can be tested from 9 weeks of pregnancy : which allows for prenatal results to be known early in the pregnancy.
• High Accuracy : Current DNA testing technology offers up to 99.9% accuracy when comparing the baby’s DNA with the assumed father’s.
• It enables quick decision making to make decisions about the care of the fetus in case of certain diseases that may be inherited from the father or in case of wanting to terminate the pregnancy.

Limitations

• High cost : NIPPT testing is relatively expensive compared to postpartum testing.
• Depends on the amount of cffDNA : If the fetus is too young or the mother has other risk factors that may cause the amount of cffDNA in the mother’s blood to be insufficient for testing, it is necessary to wait until the amount of cffDNA is sufficient, or in some cases, NIPPT cannot be tested, or the mother has certain diseases (you can inquire about restrictions at LINE ID: @HealthSmile ).
• Cannot be tested in IVF babies.
• Cannot detect twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.
• It is not possible to examine in cases where the suspected father is blood-related to the mother or the mother’s relatives, such as siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.
• It cannot be tested in cases where the mother has cancer, preeclampsia, has received blood/bone marrow donation/organ transplant surgery or has received stem cell treatment.

Current usage

NIPPT is becoming increasingly popular due to its safety and patient comfort. Physicians often recommend this test for prenatal paternity concerns.

How soon will I receive my paternity test results?

NIPPT (Non-Invasive Paternity Test) provides over 99.99% accuracy with results available within 21 days and costs 34,800 baht (including nationwide home delivery).

For more information about paternity testing during pregnancy, please contact our customer service department on LINE ID: @HealthSmile.

DNA testing to confirm paternity after birth

In cases where paternity is not absolutely necessary during pregnancy, such as those who do not intend to terminate the pregnancy if the paternity test results do not meet expectations, or those suspected of being the father do not have any underlying medical conditions that could potentially risk passing the baby along, families can wait until the baby is born and then perform a paternity test after birth. This is cheaper and allows for legal documentation to be obtained for various legal transactions.

Inquire about postpartum paternity testing, priced at 12,000 baht, at LINE ID: @HealthSmile.

Standard paternity testing can be performed immediately after birth. The method for collecting samples for DNA analysis after the baby is born is simple and straightforward. No blood sample is required. A buccal swab is simply swabbed on the inside of the newborn’s cheek to collect cells for DNA testing. This is a quick, painless procedure that does not cause any distress to the baby. We also require a sample to be collected from the mouth of the suspected father. The buccal cells collected are then sent to a laboratory for DNA analysis.

If a family needs a paternity test for any legal matter, such as a family law matter, an immigration visa application, or an inheritance or probate dispute, you will need to have a legal DNA test. In this case, the test must be done in person at the center, under strict chain of custody conditions. This ensures that the sample has not been tampered with, and that the test results are legally binding in court.

Read more: When is the earliest time to check paternity after birth?

References

1. How soon can you do a paternity test on an unborn baby? [Internet]. AlphaBiolabs. 2019 [cited 2024 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.alphabiolabs.co.uk/blog/how-soon-can-you-do-a-paternity-test/