Paternity Test Archives - Page 18 of 54

Beyonce is a Half-sister . . . AGAIN?

by HOMEDNA on 07/09/2014

In 2010, Queen B’s father, Mathew Knowles, went through a paternity suit; it was found that the child was indeed his.

Now, four years later, another woman is claiming Beyonce and her child share the same father. 30-year-old lingerie-model, Taqoya Branscomb, filed a court request for 63-year-old Mathew Knowles to take a DNA test and prove her daughter is Beyonce’s half-sister. Branscomb claims she gave birth to the child the same year Knowles’s ex-wife, Tina Knowles, filed for divorce. After the paternity test, Taqoya Branscomb is requesting Bey’s dad to pay child support and cover the attorney fees.

The good news for Daddy Knowles, should he want to choose us for his test, is that IDENTIGENE is AABB accredited and offers court-admissible testing. A disinterested third party will collect the DNA samples with cheek swabs and send them directly back to our lab. Identifying participants before samples are collected ensures that participants are who they say they are accuracy and also ensures that DNA was not contaminated or otherwise monkeyed around with during collection and submission to the lab. Court-admissible testing costs $359 and results are available two business days after our lab receives the samples.

So, Beyonce, if you are reading this, give us a call! We are more than happy to assist your dad in setting up that court-ordered DNA paternity Test!

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 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time. Our friendly, expert representatives are ready and happy to help. Get answers anytime by visiting our Help Center.

Why Kids Need Dads

by HOMEDNA on 06/30/2014

Any Man can be a Father, but it takes Someone Special to be a Dad

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America, that’s 1 out of 3, live in a father-absent home. Self-esteem, mental health, emotional stability and behavior can be affected by either the love or rejection of a father. There is a special importance to being a dad in a child’s life. Whether a dad is re-married, single, divorced, widowed, gay, straight, adoptive, or a step-dad, what is important is his involvement in a child’s life.

Like Father, Like Son

Children are quick to pick up habits or mimic things that mom and dad do. We have all seen that picture of a boy using his toy lawn mower next to dad’s real lawn mower, or the picture dad took showing the aftermath of a little girl getting into mom’s make-up bag. These are some innocent examples of how children carefully observe their parents’ every day tasks. So how can we be good father figures? When they start getting interested in boys, most girls will look for (or expect) traits that their father possessed.

If dad is kind, loving and respectful, girls will seek the same characteristics in men, because it is what they knew while growing up. Boys will typically model themselves after dad, which explains why boys want to have a car like dad does – or mow the lawn! They look for their father’s approval, copy their behaviors and imitate them as their own characteristics. It is important to realize children will emulate behaviors, whether they are positive or negative.

Father’s Role in Behavior

Studies have shown that children with a father figure in their life will have less of a tendency to experiment with alcohol or drugs. Children who lack father involvement are more likely to drop out of school, and show more behavioral problems and substance abuse.

With a father figure present in their lives, kids tend to do significantly better in school as well earning better grades than with a mother-figure present. This is true for father figures in biological families, stepfathers as well as single-parent fathers. Within a single-mother household, children display a higher level of aggression. Living in a single-mother home can compare to experiencing 5.25 partnership transitions. As teens, the lack of father presence is displayed in other ways. For example, being raised by a single mother raises the probability of teen pregnancy and marrying with less than a high school diploma.

How Distant Fathers Can Become…not so Distant

There are many situations or circumstances in which fathers could be distanced or removed from their families, however, there are still ways that they can maintain a strong and healthy relationship with their children. First, they must understand how important their role is in their children’s lives. With programs and events like “Father-Daughter Dance”, held in prisons by Angela Patton, daughters can bond with their fathers in prison, which is a win-win scenario.

Daughters can get to know their dads and as Angela Patton says, “When fathers are connected to their children, it is less likely that they will return.’ Fathers no longer living with their children due to divorce, living in a different state, serving in the military, or any other circumstance, can still love and show their children how much they care. What may seem as small and insignificant as sending a birthday card really isn’t small or insignificant! Sending a note with loving and nurturing words is a great example of how fathers can continue making an impact on their child’s life.

Once a Father, Always a Father

Humans learn by modeling behavior or social imitation; this is especially true for little kids. Children are the ones most likely to pick up on early patterns or habits that can then affect their character or behavior throughout their life.

It is important that children have both mother and father figures in their lives, if possible. A father figure does not necessarily need to be a biological father. If the father is unresponsive or not able to be present for the child’s life, an uncle, grandfather, or even a family friend can be a father figure to children. Dr. Janet Taylor said it best in an interview with Lisa Davis on “It’s Your Health” network, “A Father’s interaction doesn’t have to happen just in a two-parent household, a father no matter where they are can continue to inquire and be present.. ” INVOLVEMENT is key.

Sources

“Census.gov.” Census.gov. U.S. Department of Commerce, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.census.gov/en.html>.

“National Center for Fathering.” National Center for Fathering The Consequences of Fatherlessness Comments. National Center for Fathering, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.fathers.com/statistics-and-research/the-consequences-of-fatherlessness/>.

Nauert, Rick, PhD. “Modeling Behavior for Children Has Long-Lasting Effects | Psych Central News.” Psych Central News. Psych Central, 27 May 2010. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/27/modeling-behavior-for-children-has-long-lasting-effects/14139.html>.

Patton, Angela. “A Father-daughter Dance … in Prison.” Angela Patton:. Ted Talks, Nov. 2012. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_patton_a_father_daughter_dance_in_prison?language=en>.

Understanding (and Overcoming) ‘Inconclusive’ Paternity Test Results

by HOMEDNA on 06/02/2014

Understanding DNA paternity test results is simpler than most people think. Results show one of two determinations. Either:

Test results show 0% probability of paternity. This means the possible father is excluded from being the biological father ( considered not the father)

Test results show a 99% or higher probability of paternity. This means the possible father is not excluded from being the biological father (considered to be the father).

What if the probability of paternity is in between 0 and 99%?

Inconclusive DNA Results

After the DNA testing process is completed, the probability of paternity is determined based on matches between the DNA of the child and possible father. Typically, 15 markers are tested for matches, but conclusive answers can be reached with as few as six markers.

In paternity testing, any result above 0% and under 99% is considered to be inconclusive by accredited DNA testing laboratories. ‘Inconclusive’ means that no concrete answer can be reached with the current samples, neither a ‘yes’ (‘not excluded’) or a ‘no’ (‘excluded’).

There are two common possibilities that can yield an inconclusive DNA result when testing for paternity:

1. The samples collected did not yield enough DNA, or 2. A conclusive answer cannot be reached without adding the biological mother’s DNA to the test.

Insufficient DNA

Sometimes, the samples sent to the lab yield less than 15 markers. For example, this might happen if the sample is from a newborn and the person collecting was a little too gentle in swabbing the baby. Or the person swabbing got too much saliva and not enough cheek cells. Even if these ‘weak’ samples only yield a few markers, the lab can still get conclusive results if the matches between the child and alleged father are strong enough. If not, the samples may need to be recollected before the lab can get a conclusive result. However, even when all 15 markers are present for father and child, they may not be enough to determine a result without adding the biological mother to the test.

Including the Biological Mother in the Paternity Test

All humans share 99% of their DNA with each other. We rely on the unique genetic differences when we test for paternity. Sometimes, the differences between the alleged father and the child’s DNA profiles are not unique enough on their own to determine a conclusive answer (either 0% or a probability higher than 99%). At this point, testing with the biological mother is crucial to produce a conclusive result. Since the biological mother is known, including her will eliminate half the DNA the child carries, strengthening the matches between the father and child (and getting a probability of 99% or higher). Or it could eliminate enough matches to determine that he is not the father (0% probability).

Most often, IDENTIGENE releases conclusive results only when the probability is higher than 99% (the alleged father is ‘included’ as the biological father) or when 3 or more markers do not match (the alleged father is ‘excluded’ as the biological father.