About the Tests
Extracting cell-free foetal DNA from maternal blood for testing is a very different process from paternity testing after birth. If the foetus is determined to be male, the test will use short tandem repeat (STR) markers to ascertain the parent-child relationship; and the foetus is determined to be female, the testusessingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site technology to calculate the probability that the test subject is the father. The test can be performed as soon as the seventhweek of pregnancy, with results available within 5 days for male foetuses and 7-10 days for female foetuses.
Accuracy
The unique genetic makeup of infants is inherited from both parents, with half coming from the father and half from the mother.
Male foetus paternity test: If there are 15 STR markers that match, the parent-child relationship can be determined with an accuracy as high as 99.9%;
If more than two STR markers do not match, paternity can be disproved with an accuracy of 100%.
Female foetus paternity test: The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and SNP locus testing processes use extremely accurate and scientific technologies.
Expert Team
In addition to our laboratories in Hong Kong, we also cooperate with a US agency that specialises in paternity testing. Their professional consultants began to use DNA for human blood relationship testing as early as 1999 and took the lead in providing paternity testing services in 2004.
Prenatal DNA Paternity Tests Can Be Performed in Early Pregnancy
Once the pregnancy has reached 7 weeks or longer and the sex of the foetus is confirmed, we can compare the cell-free foetal DNA in the mother’s blood with the genes of the test subject to analyse the parent-child relationship. Prenatal DNA paternity tests only require a sample of the mother's venous blood and a sample from the potential father. The process is safe and simple.
Test Process
1. Confirm how far along the pregnancy is using an ultrasound scan and determine the sex of the foetus by genetic testing.
2. Pregnant women can make an appointment at a designated blood collection centre, where they will be asked to provide two 10ml blood samples and a sample from the test subject (i.e. the suspected father).
3. We compare the cell-free DNA in the mother’s blood sample mother with the test subject’s genesand analyse the results.
4. The data is then verified and reviewed by a technician.
5. Test results are provided within 5 days for a male foetus or7-10 days for a female foetus.
Genetic Sample from the Test Subject (Suspected Father)
Samples of blood, oral mucosa, hair (requires the follicle), semen, cigarette butts, fingernails or toenails, etc.
100% Privacy Protection
We will never share your personal information with third parties without your consent and will destroy any personal data if you request us to do so.