

Although it’s extremely rare, sometimes a needle may come into contact with the baby (American Pregnancy).ĬOST: $600-2,000 for the physician. And, because it is so invasive, many doctors will not do it strictly for paternity test sample collection. PROS: It’s a test that’s very familiar to most OBs, and has a relatively high success rate.ĬONS: Like the CVS test, amniocentesis is an invasive procedure that carries a small risk of miscarriage. Amniocentesis is primarily used to detect chromosome abnormalities and genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis and spina bifida, but since DNA is being collected in the process, it can be used for a prenatal paternity test. The growing baby sheds cells into the amniotic fluid, which allows the DNA to be collected. For a test, it is a relatively lengthy procedure that can take approximately 45 minutes. Amniocentesis: Performed during Weeks 14-20Ī doctor inserts an ultrasound-guided needle through the wall of the abdomen and extracts a sample of fluid from the amniotic sac. But most will not cover the procedure or testing if you want it only for paternity testing. Some insurance plans cover the test, especially for women over 35 who have a higher chance of having a baby with genetic abnormalities. Some studies also suggest it may cause defects in the babies’ fingers and toes (HealthDay).ĬOST: $1,400-2,000 for the physician. It is most often conducted to identify birth defects and disorders.

For this reason, most doctors hesitate to perform it or simply will not perform it for paternity test reasons alone. PROS: You can have it done earlier in the pregnancy than an amniocentesis test (see below).ĬONS: It is an invasive procedure that carries a slight risk of miscarriage. This process can also be performed by passing a needle through the wall of the abdomen (NHS). A DNA sample is extracted in the lab and then compared to samples from the possible father and the mother. Chorionic villi are tiny finger-shaped wisps of tissue whose cells contain the baby’s DNA (HealthDay). Guided by ultrasound, the device is gently inserted through the cervix, where it collects tissue from chorionic villi in the placenta. With this test, a doctor inserts a thin tube into the vagina. Prenatal Paternity Test Choices CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling): Performed during Weeks 10-13 So before deciding whether or not to even consider such a procedure, it’s critical for a woman to have solid information about what her options are for prenatal paternity testing, the pros and cons of each, and the low-down on any associated risks and costs. This is a personal decision, and one that possibly comes with societal ethical and moral dilemmas attached. With over 40% of children in the United States being born out of wedlock (CDC), many pregnant women are facing an additional choice: whether or not to have a prenatal paternity test. There are many choices for a woman to make when she finds out she’s expecting, from what kinds of food she’s going to eat to which doctor she wants to see.
