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Common Questions in Parentage Testing
Q: Are genetic tests valid when performed on a child under the age of six months?
A: Yes, as long as certain tests are avoided. The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) specifically states that children under six months of age may not be tested for the serum proteins Gm and Km. LabCorp does not perform these tests. Other tests can be accurately performed on children under six months of age, including red cell antigens, leukocyte antigens (HLA), and DNA.
Q: Is there a six-month age requirement for infants?
A: No. The six-month delay was a common procedure because of the difficulty of drawing blood from small infants and due to the AABB requirement stated above. However, buccal swab specimen collection has eliminated the difficulty of drawing blood.
Q: If a child is under six months, can DNA testing be done using a specimen other than blood?
A: Buccal swabs or cord blood collected at birth can be used and allow for rapid and reliable testing regardless of age.
Q: How does a buccal swab sample differ from a blood sample?
A: For purposes of identity testing, there is no difference in DNA derived from buccal swabs or blood.
Q: Are you collecting saliva for testing when a buccal swab is done?
A: Although some saliva is contained on the buccal swabs, one is actually collecting epithelial cells off the cheeks inside the mouth (buccal cavity).
Q: Won't the buccal swabs be contaminated since they are collected from the mouth?
A: The DNA testing performed is not affected by the DNA of bacteria, common foods, tobacco, or toothpaste, etc.
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Q: Is the re-collection rate higher with buccal swabs?
A: LabCorp has not experienced a higher re-collection rate for buccal swab specimens. In LabCorp's experience the re-collection rate appears lower than re-collections for traditional blood testing.
Q: What are the procedures to prevent a mismatch of samples?
A: Good laboratory practices that incorporate exclusion confirmation and duplicate testing of independent specimen preparations help prevent and detect mismatched specimens. Buccal swab collection is performed using different colored swabs for the mother, child and alleged father to minimize specimen mishandling.
Q: How many test systems (loci) should be run?
A: The multiple genetic systems selected for routine testing at LabCorp exclude on average 99.99% of falsely accused men from paternity.
Q: Are any other tests, such as AIDS conducted at the time the genetic testing is performed?
A: No other tests are performed.
Q: Why can't a simple genetic test, conducted in a physician's office, be used to determine paternity?
A: Genetic analysis is more complex than most physician office laboratories are capable of handling.
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Q: Can parentage be established for a deceased alleged father?
A: If blood or buccal swabs are collected from the alleged father at the time of death, and shipped immediately to the laboratory, standard testing can be performed. If the alleged father is deceased, his parents can be tested to determine whether they may be grandparents. An alternative is to generate paternity reports based on transplant list (such as heart, kidney or bone marrow), HLA typings, tissue specimens from previous surgeries, or blood types from medical records. Alleged fathers who die in motor vehicle accidents often have specimens collected for toxicology studies. Such specimens or tissue samples from autopsy, obtained from the coroner's office, are successfully used to determine parentage. In addition, the body can be exhumed and a tissue sample removed for testing.
Q: Can paternity evaluation be done without testing the mother?
A: Paternity testing can be performed if the mother is not available although additional laboratory processing is necessary. The mother's parents may also be tested to improve the statistical evaluation or confirm maternity.
Q: Will testing also show if the mother is excluded from maternity?
A: Although rare, several confirmed cases of non-maternity have been found during routine paternity testing.
Q: If an alleged father is drawn for one case, but his results are needed in another case, can his findings be used in both cases?
A: At LabCorp the privacy of the persons tested is strictly maintained. Samples or results from a previous case will be used only if the alleged father agrees or there is an order from a court or administrative tribunal.
Q: Can reliable testing be performed when the parties are drawn at different times?
A: Specimens from parties being evaluated together for parentage testing do not have to be obtained at the same time. Specimens are maintained securely until all specimens needed for case resolution are received.
Q: Can sources of specimens be different within a case, such as a buccal swab from the child and blood from the adults?
A: DNA testing can use different sources because except for persons who have had a bone marrow transplant, DNA markers are the same in all the body's nucleated cells. Buccal swabs should be used anytime a person being tested has had a bone marrow transplant.
Q: How long are buccal specimens good for future testing?
A: At LabCorp, we have had excellent results in testing buccal swabs over two years old. Based on the success of testing dried blood stains, we anticipate that dried buccal specimens will offer many years of stability.
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Q: If the mother and alleged father are related, does this make any difference in the testing?
A: No. When mother and alleged father are related, the testing is still valid.
Q: If two alleged fathers are related (brother-brother, father-son, or nephew-uncle), is the testing valid?
A: The laboratory must be informed of the circumstances, because it is possible for both men to have the same or similar genetic markers, even when DNA analysis is performed. Extended testing may have to be performed until one man is excluded. Related alleged fathers should be tested at the same time until one is excluded.
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