Possible DNA Sample Contamination

6 Surprising Ways Paternity Test Samples Get Contaminated

by HOMEDNA on 06/07/2021

“Uh oh. Did I mess up my Paternity Test?”

Getting a paternity test today is much simpler and more affordable than ever, thanks to top-quality, home kits you can purchase easily and affordably at your local retailer. Because answers have a critical impact on a child’s and family’s lives, it’s important that you choose a highly-accredited DNA laboratory to perform the testing. When a paternity test is ordered, you and the lab form a partnership, and each party has a responsibility to ensure DNA samples are handled properly. 

As a participant in the test, your job is to make sure samples arrive at the lab in good condition. To get samples, participants collect DNA with cheek swabs. It’s painless and fast, and the process itself isn’t hard at all, but you have to do it with care to maintain the integrity of the DNA.  Here are five surprising ways paternity test samples can get contaminated.

Paternity Test Problem #1: Eating, Drinking, Smoking, etc.

Avoid putting anything in your mouth for at least an hour prior to collecting cheek-cell samples. Foreign particles from food, liquids, toothpaste and tobacco byproducts don’t alter the DNA but they can mask it. The consequence is that the sample becomes degraded and therefore unusable for paternity testing. Even babies being tested shouldn’t nurse or have a bottle prior to testing.

The good news: This mistake doesn’t adversely affect your results because the lab always catches this problem and suspends testing immediately. You’ll simply be asked to do a re-collection at no charge, and then testing can resume.

The bad news: You have to wait longer for your results due to the need for re-collection.

How to prevent it: Follow this guideline precisely. If a participant eats or drinks within the hour before collection, simply wait a little longer before testing.

Paternity Test Problem #2: Spitting on Swabs Instead of Swabbing Cheek Cells

With the new popularity of some ancestry tests, it’s easy for paternity customers to get confused between collecting cheek cells and collecting spit, or saliva. The two types of samples are definitely not interchangeable.  Robots for relationship testing are designed to extract DNA from cheek cells, and cheek cells provide a more concentrated amount of high-quality DNA.

The good news: There is a chance that the robots and laboratory technicians might still be able to extract DNA for testing.

The bad news: If the samples are contaminated or if the lab is unable to extract enough DNA, you  have to wait longer for your results due to the need for re-collection.

How to prevent it: Read directions very carefully and be sure to collect cells from the inside of the cheeks only, avoiding the gum areas as much as possible. And do not spit on the swabs!

Paternity Test Problem #3: Cross-contamination

When you’re handling swabs, it’s critical to maintain the integrity of each swab from start to finish. What does that mean?

Be sure not to:

  • Handle the tips of the swab, especially if you are swabbing someone else
  • Drop the swab
  • Accidentally put swabs from two different people in the same envelope

The good news: These kinds of mistakes are caught at the lab level and won’t affect your results.

The bad news: You may have to wait longer for your results if re-collection is necessary.

How to prevent it: Handle swabs with care and be sure to use separate sample envelopes for each participant.

Paternity Test Problem #4:  Some Medical Procedures

The following scenarios can definitely have an effect on paternity testing results:

  •  A participant has recently had a blood transfusion
  • A participant has ever had a bone marrow transplant

In both  scenarios, someone else’s DNA has been introduced into a participant’s body and can remain there, either temporarily or for long periods of time. When the paternity testing sample DNA from that participant is amplified in the lab, technicians may see two separate profiles from that one individual.

The good news: Even if you or another participant has had one of these procedures, it is still possible to get conclusive results.

The bad news: It may not be possible to get conclusive results.

How to prevent it: You can’t change the medical procedure you’ve had, of course, but you can let the lab know about it in the submission form. This way, if the lab determines the medical history may be affecting results, you can be notified. 

Paternity Test Problem #5: Re-using Packaging

Buccal (cheek) swabs are specially-created for DNA collection and they come sealed in plastic packaging to keep them sterile. While this packaging is perfect for unused buccal swabs, it causes problems for swabs once they’ve been used to collect DNA. Here’s why:

A DNA sample contains cheek cells which are inevitably mixed with some saliva. When you put a wet swab back in the plastic packaging, the sample can no longer ‘breathe,’ and mold nearly immediately starts growing. This mold can degrade or destroy the DNA on the swab so much that the DNA can’t be extracted and tested.

The good news: The lab will catch this problem and ask for re-collection, so it won’t affect your results.

The bad news: You have to wait longer for your results due to the need for re-collection.

How to prevent it: As you collect samples, be sure to place swabs in the paper envelopes provided as noted in the kit instructions, and not back in the plastic packaging. Easy!

Paternity Test Problem #6: Mailing Wet Envelopes

As mentioned earlier, the swabs pick up cheek cells, but also some saliva too. As a result, it’s not unusual for the paper envelopes containing samples to get a little wet. If envelopes are mailed while still damp, they can rip while en route to the lab. This contaminates all samples, unfortunately.

 The good news: DNA samples can be collected again using new materials.

The bad news: You have to wait longer for your results.

How to prevent it: It’s best to air-dry swabs as much as possible by holding them by the handles for a little while before placing them in the paper envelopes. But if an envelope gets a little wet anyway, just lay it on a clean counter and allow to air-dry at room temperature before mailing.

The Bottom Line

Our customers often reach out to us after their results are issued and ask, “The swabs were wet and I put them in the envelope anyway. Did that affect results?” Or, “My baby breastfed right before I swabbed him. Could that change the results?” No worries! Contaminated samples cannot “change” results, because the lab always catches the problem and asks for new samples before results are issued. But it is an inconvenience to you because you have to wait longer to get results. Be sure to carefully follow all instructions that come with your paternity testing kit. This prevents any hold-ups in the process and helps you get your results as soon as possible.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you have questions about paternity tests or other DNA testing services, please contact our  Client Support Center at 888-404-4363, Mon-Fri  from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Our friendly, expert representatives are ready and happy to help. Get answers anytime by visiting our Help Center. 

A Paternity Test says I’m the Father: 3 Key Ways to Establish a Fatherhood Relationship

by HOMEDNA on 05/24/2021

Participating in a paternity test can be a stressful event in any man’s life, especially since the results have the potential to be so intensely life-changing.

Paternity test results may be the impetus to creating a new family or it can make an existing family stronger by confirming a biological relationship. Ultimately, when a paternity test establishes you are the father, whether you deal with this knowledge negatively or positively is up to you. Just remember, there’s a child involved and their needs matter just as much as yours.

There are many important benefits to establishing legal paternity, whether your child is still a minor or if they’ve become an adult. But psychologists are quick to assert that the emotional benefits of a healthy relationship between father and child are equally critical. If fatherhood is a new role for you, here are three ways you can establish and nurture those ties.

1. Invest Time and Attention

Showing up now and then just doesn’t cut it. A father needs to first invest time and attention with children in order for trust to be established (Joseph,Strain). When a child is old enough to talk and understand , it’s unwise to just say you’re their new parent and so you expect them to obey or respect you. Start slowly. If you don’t live in the child’s home, devote time on the weekends and whenever else you can to actively engage and spend time with them: reading stories, going to the park, watching TV, playing games, talking.

 Studies consistently show that ‘part-time dads’ who come in and out of a child’s life can do more harm than good. In fact, children report feeling abandoned when their fathers are not consistently involved in their lives, struggling with their emotions and episodic bouts of self-loathing (Kruk). Make the time to be there for them consistently.

 Even if there are times when your child doesn’t want to be with you, give them space, but don’t give up.

Fathers play a hugely important role in the mental health of their children much later in life. ~Melanie Mallers, Professor of Psychology (Cal State University)

2. Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Unfortunately, you may live far away from your child or you may only have limited contact while establishing legal paternity in the court system. Don’t be discouraged! You can still keep the lines of communication open when you can’t be together in person. Be sure to:

  • Make phone calls
  • Send emails
  • Talk face-to-face using FaceTime or Skype
  • Send cards, postcards, and letters

Never allow the child to believe that you are not thinking of them on a daily basis (Meyer).

3. Respect your Child’s Mother

This tip is hugely important when establishing a paternal relationship with a child of any age, and is even more important when the child is a teen or if the paternity test determined you are the father of a child who is now an adult .

At first, you may be considered an ‘outsider’ in the established parental relationship of mother and child. If you speak ill of Mom or accuse her of being the reason you’ve never been in their life, your son or daughter is placed in the position of having to defend Mom and it can backfire. On the other hand, if you express your respect for all she’s done in raising such a great kid, that positive attitude goes a long way toward creating trust.

Even if you think your ex has wanted to perpetuate estrangement between you and your child, honestly acknowledge ways you may also have contributed to not having had a relationship all these years (Coleman). This takes humility, but kids are smart and they respect honesty.

The Bottom Line

Melanie Mailers, a professor in psychology at Cal State University says this: “Fathers play a hugely important role in the mental health of their children much later in life. They have a unique style of interacting with their children and men who report having had a good relationship with their father during childhood were found to be better at dealing with stress” (Kemp).

 If your paternity test results indicate you are the father, embrace this new direction in your life. Fatherhood is one of the greatest gifts a man can enjoy, so don’t let it pass you by.

Can you think of other good ways fathers can develop relationships with their children? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you have questions about paternity tests or other DNA testing services, please contact our  Client Support Center at 888-404-4363, Mon-Fri  from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Our friendly, expert representatives are ready and happy to help. Get answers anytime by visiting our Help Center. 

RESOURCES

Coleman, Joshua, PhD. “How Parents Can Start to Reconcile with Estranged Kids.” Greater Good. The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_parents_can_start_to_reconcile_with_their_kids>.

 Joseph, Gail E., PhD, and Phillip S. Strain, PhD. “Building Positive Relationships with Parents of Young Children.” The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (2012): n. pag.Vanderbilt.edu/csefel. Vanderbilt University, 1 Feb. 2010. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. <http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/modules/module1/handout5.pdf>.

 Kemp, Rob. “The Importance of Father-child Bonding | The National.” The Importance of Father-child Bonding | The National. Abu Dhabi Media, 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/family/the-importance-of-father-child-bonding>.

 Kruk, Edward, PhD. “Father Absence, Father Deficit, Father Hunger.”Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC., 23 May 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/co-parenting-after-divorce/201205/father-absence-father-deficit-father-hunger>.

 Meyer, Cathy. “Tips to Help Restore Your Relationship With Your Child/Children.” About.com Dating & Relationships. About.com, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/meetingyourchildsneeds/qt/restore_rel.htm>.

IDENTIGENE-LEGAL-PATERNITY

What Do You Mean by “Legal Paternity?”

by HOMEDNA on 05/03/2021

“NOTE: This information-only article may help you better understand the terms, definitions, and language used in legal paternity situations and is not legal advice. For specific legal advice, please contact a lawyer in your state.

Studies show that one in ten people have a paternity-related question. Often the question of paternity is a simple one, and those involved just need the peace of mind that comes with knowing who is the father. But legal questions about paternity can get far more complicated. For example:

  • Who is allowed to go to court  to determine  the father of a child ?
  • When can a case be filed with the court and how much time do you have to establish paternity?
  • What is the court process in a paternity case?
  • What evidence is used in paternity cases to prove the existence of a parent-child relationship?
  • How does one go about getting a legal paternity test?

Having answers to questions like these can give you a better understanding of the legal paternity process, and may be important to protecting your right to be involved in the child’s life.

Using the State of Colorado as an example, we’ve researched a few answers to commonly-asked legal paternity questions. Of course, laws vary from state to state and you should contact a local lawyer where you live for answers to your specific questions.

Who is allowed to go to court  to determine  the father of a child ?

  • The child
  • The biological mother
  • The alleged father
  • A representative from the State of residence
  • A representative from the Department of Human Services
  • A county department representative of social services

When can a case be filed with the court and how much time do you have to establish paternity?

  • A paternity case can be filed anytime before the child’s 18th birthday, if trying to prove a parent-child relationship.
  • To prove that a man is NOT the father of the child, parties must file within a reasonable time after the man finds out someone may claim he is the father, and definitely before the child’s fifth birthday.
  • Child support enforcement agencies can bring an action on behalf of the child at any time before his or her 21st birthday, if the amount of time allowed to bring the suit was less than 18 years when the child was born. A child can bring an action anytime before his or her 21st birthday.

What is the court process in a paternity case?

  • An informal hearing is scheduled first with the court. If it is determined by the court to be in the child’s best interests, a hearing is then ordered to have the case heard before a judge.
  • The court may determine that in the best interest of both parties, the hearing may not to be open to the public.
  • A record of what happens at this hearing will be kept if any party requests it.
  • If any witness refuses to testify, the court can order the witness to testify and produce evidence related to all relevant facts in the case.
  • Any party may seek a restraining order, injunction, temporary orders as to custody, parenting time, and support as soon as the court enters an order determining the existence of the parent-child relationship.

NOTE: Issues of temporary custody, parenting time, and support are decided under a different set of rules established by each State.

What evidence is used in paternity cases to prove the existence of a parent-child relationship?

  • Evidence of sexual intercourse between the mother and the alleged father at any time that would make it possible for the child to have been conceived during that encounter.
  • An expert’s opinion that based on the duration of the mother’s pregnancy, there is a chance that the man could be the father.
  • Medical or anthropological evidence
  • Legal DNA Paternity Test (through DNA Diagnostics Center, which is the parent company of HomeDNA ) with a witnessed 3rd party collection

How do I get a legal paternity test?

  • It should be noted that there is a difference between a ‘personal’ HomeDNA paternity test, and a ‘legal’ DNA paternity test. To be considered a ‘legal’ test, the swab collection needs to be performed with a witnessed third-party DNA collector. Typically, an additional fee per person is paid to the collection service for this process. This unbiased collection prevents sample tampering, and provides a chain-of-custody process for samples: from collection to results
  • An at-home kit cannot be used for legal purposes, but a legal paternity test can be ordered through our parent company DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) or by calling 800-681-7162. Already have a home kit? No problem: We’ll credit your account for the cost of the kit
  • We will set up an appointment with a collector near you
  • In order to maintain chain of custody, we must send the kit directly to the approved collector. You cannot take a kit with you to the appointment
  • Collectors will send documentation and collected samples back to the lab on your behalf
  • After samples arrive at the lab it will take two (2) business days to receive your results. The secure and private results will be available online (where you can also print them).

(Colorado Judicial Branch. For State-specific information, call the courthouse in your community.)

Read related stories with more information regarding Legal Paternity Testing:

Establishing Paternity and Legal Paternity Testing

Do I need court-admissible DNA results?

Privacy and Accuracy With Paternity Testing

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you have questions about paternity tests or other DNA testing services, please contact our  Client Support Center at 888-404-4363, Mon-Fri  from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Our friendly, expert representatives are ready and happy to help. Get answers anytime by visiting our Help Center. 

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