Can an accurate paternity DNA test be conducted without the biological mother?
Yes. Motherless testing is a very common procedure. Without a sample from the mother, testing is done by comparing the DNA of the child to that of the alleged father. More than 99% probabilities can be determined by looking at matches in the DNA of these individuals. Does the child have to be a certain age to provide a sample for the test? No. Soon after birth a swab can very carefully be taken from the inside of the babys cheek. Does the DNA profile obtained from paternity testing provide any information on genetic disorders or diseases of the person tested? The general publics perception of DNA is that it is useful only in forensic and paternity-related cases. The broader public perception is that the DNA profiles used in these areas impact ethical issues such as disease susceptibility etc. that can be used by insurance companies to deny individual rights to access. This is a misconception. STRs are repetitive sequences of DNA that are distinct to an individual and do not code for an
