FAQS
Here we have tried to answer the most common and frequently asked questions that we get from our clients. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, feel free to leave us a comment or email us at [email protected]. We’re here to help you answer some of life’s most important questions.
Q: WHY SHOULD WE INCLUDE THE MOTHER IN A PATERNITY DNA TEST?
A: It is not required to include the known Mother in a Paternity DNA Test, however, it is always better to include the Mother because it allows for a more accurate result in a quicker amount of time. The same applies for including the known Father in a Maternity DNA Test.
We test the known Mother’s samples at no extra charge in a Paternity DNA Test (and we also don’t charge to include the known Father’s samples in a Maternity DNA Test).
But I already know who the Mother is. I don’t need to prove that so why is the Mother’s samples needed? I only need to prove Paternity.
Children receive half of their DNA from their Mother and half of their DNA from their Father, but which parts of the Child’s DNA come from which parent is random. So, with the known Mother included in a Paternity DNA Test, we can compare the Mother’s DNA and Child’s DNA to determine which parts of the Child’s DNA came from the Mother, because they match exactly. This lets us know that the remaining part of the child’s DNA came from the biological Father and this means we know what to compare to the DNA-tested man.
Without the Mother, we cannot eliminate part of the Child’s DNA. So even if the DNA-tested man is matching part of the Child’s DNA, we don’t know if the Child is matching parts actually came from the biological Father, or from the Mother, because it the DNA is inherited randomly. Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of a motherless Paternity DNA Test, it is often necessary to perform additional and/or more discrimination DNA testing.
OK, but is the accuracy still the same with or without the Mother? What about the cost and how long before I get my results?
At PTC Laboratories, we provide the same above industry-standard of a minimum 99.99% guaranteed probability of paternity on a ‘Motherless’ Paternity DNA Test as we do for a Paternity DNA Test that includes the Mother. You can be sure of the reliability with or without the Mother’s samples. This also applies for ‘Fatherless’ Maternity DNA Tests.
However, in order to obtain this high degree of reliability, additional DNA testing may be necessary (at no charge to you), which can sometimes take a bit longer than if the Mother’s samples had been included for comparison. This also applies for ‘Fatherless’ Maternity DNA Tests.
We test the known Mother’s samples at no extra charge in a Paternity DNA Test (and we also don’t charge to include the known Father’s samples in a Maternity DNA Test).