Paternity Lab Diary

Free Test for Pete & Alisha

2010-11-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

I have decided that this is the oddest story I have ever heard. I have heard so many crazy stories. This one by far takes the cake!

These two crazy fools in Minnesota are allowing the internet to decide if they choose to keep or abort their unborn child.

Go to this website to vote: http://www.birthornot.com/

The site is complete with comments, and even sonogram pics. I'm sure it's a stunt. So, to add to the insanity I'd like to propose this - I will pay for a post-birth private paternity test for these two weirdo's if they choose to keep the baby.

My offer is in no way a reflection on my political views. Be assured that I will remain neutral in the pro-life or pro-choice debate. AND About Minnesota- I've never been to that dear state and after learning that these two crazy folk are from there I am so very excited to visit.

I'm too stoned to remember who my baby daddy is!

2010-11-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are fans of the Showtime hit, Weeds. There's a great recap of last night's episode posted over at Zap 2 it. Since every show on TV must now include a paternity test, this show has decided to focus on the paternity of Nancy's eldest. The clincher- it's a secret test! The alleged father does not know he's being tested.

SPOILER

If you've not seen the latest episode, definitely

***DON'T CLICK HERE***

I've addressed the secret testing issue before in this blog post- Secret DNA testing. Secret tests are good in instances where you don't want one of the participants to know they are being tested. I've seen some crazy schemes to get DNA samples from baby daddies. I've dealt with private investigators who've followed people just to dig straws, plastic forks and even gum out of trash cans. Even worse, I've been on the phone with grandmother's who've stolen garbage to obtain a sample of babies that might be their grandkids.

Special Note *People commonly and incorrectly assume that a baby diaper will provide a good sample. Diapers do NOT make good DNA samples and if you call up a lab and ask if they'll test one - you'll get serious sticker shock. That's right - a forensic analyst will charge you extra to deal with a dirty diaper. I don't blame them! Do you?

There are a lot of issues surrounding secret testing. Here are some things to think over. I'd love to hear your comments.

1. What legal issues surround obtaining DNA from someone unknowingly? (Great Britain has laws against it.)

2. Names don't appear on reports, so you can't really do much with the results. For example instead of saying, Alleged Father - Jon Smith. The report will say, Alleged Father- DNA Donor to Toothbrush. So if you find out that he really is the dad, how do you convince him that the test is legit?

3. Let's just say you are brave enough to present the results to someone you've secretly tested. How do you explain that you went behind their back to steal their toothbrush, their hairbrush, their fingernail clippings or their razor?

4. I've been doing this for too long! What other questions might you have?

On a side note: Arizona's third try at legalizing medical marijuana passed over the weekend. That's right, AZ voters have approved the law twice before. It will be very interesting how they handle these 20 chromosomes in the coming future.

Help Wanted

2010-11-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

We're looking for blogging help. We are seeking someone to proofread, provide suggestions for posts, proofread, bring ideas and inspiration, did we mention proofreading? We'd love for you to be totally unversed in DNA testing. Please- no bio majors. We'd love it if you were up on current events, paid attention to celebrity drama, had a fantastic sense of humor and were available at least twice a week to IM. That's right you can work from HOME! Yay. Send inquiries to - info@itestdna.net

Christmas is coming

2010-11-11T19:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner. Are some of those kids you are playing Santa to... really somebody else's babies? Find out now. Call iTestDNA at 602-492-4362.

Rapper's Future: Horchata- no: Paternity Test- yes.

2010-11-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Lil Wayne

Another rap star- rapper- hip hop icon- whatever they are calling themselves these days has two big milestones to celebrate!

Milestone 1.

He's out of jail. Yay. Freedom. He recently checked in with probation officials in Yuma AZ. The metropolitan center that is 'Yuma' includes a legal border crossing into Mexico, but I really doubt he was granted permission for a quick visit for aguas frescas. Here's a link to my favorite recipe for Mexican Horchata! Yum.

Milestone 2.

He's been ordered to take a paternity test. Lil Wayne must take a court ordered paternity test by early December. - Click here for the story via Rolling Stone. Wayne already has other children.

Save the DRAMA for your Momma!

2010-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to get a paternity test and avoid the drama? Who creates more drama? Mothers, alleged Fathers? Other family members, such as grandparents? Current boyfriends or girlfriends ?

Something to consider...
Ladies- if a man asks for a test, he isn't calling you a whore.
Guys- if a woman offers you a test, she's not admitting that she was with other men.

Team Jacob? Team Daniel?

2010-09-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Occasionally we find ourselves in odd situations. Sometimes we find ourselves in embarrassing situations. Rarely we find ourselves in the type of situation I’m about to explain. Luckily even a situation as rare as this can almost always be solved with DNA.

Daniel and his brother Jacob have always been very close. They grew up in a small home, shared a room, shared toys and even shared a birthday. Recently, Daniel found out that they also shared something else:

Daniel’s wife – Mary. During a recent argument Mary ‘came clean’ and finally told Daniel that Emily may not be his child. Emily might be Jacob’s child. Daniel is seeking a paternity test for his three-year-old daughter Emily.

Such a paternity test involves testing the alleged father for paternity and for the possibility that he might be the child’s uncle. The ability of the testing company to explain those results is crucial. Results will indicate:

1. The likelihood of paternity

2. The likelihood that the man tested is the uncle of the child (also called avuncular testing)

The two likelihoods will be compared and the results will say which scenario is more probable. Let’s hope for Emily, Mary and Daniel’s sake that the results indicate Daniel is father. Either way the trio has a lot to talk about at the dinner table this Thanksgiving.

Inconlusive Paternity - Seven Questions

2010-09-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Dictionary.com defines inconclusive as

–adjective

1. not conclusive; not resolving fully all doubts or questions: inconclusive evidence

2. without final results or outcome: inconclusive experiments.

Click here for the full listing

Be aware that paternity testing results can be inconclusive: Disappointed? Confused? Mad?

Inconclusive results create more questions than they do answers. Here are the 7 most common.

Why?
What is an inconclusive DNA result?
How often does it occur?
What's a DNA mutation?
How can I be sure my paternity results won't be inconclusive?
Why don't DNA testing companies tell me about this before I buy a test?
How do I fix it?

Christie, our DNA Scientist answers these questions and any more you might have soon! Check back soon!

101 Greatest Paternity Stories of all Time - Sneak Peak

2010-03-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

SNEAK PEAK!

In honor of a recent update on one of our 101... we're giving you a sneak peak. Not all of the 101 paternity stories we have amassed involve celebrities... but they're the juiciest, aren't they!

Paternity Lab Diary has searched the history of paternity to bring you, the best 'who's the daddy' list of all time. In no particular order here they are:

Anna Nicole Smith - Dannielynn Birkhead
Unless you've been under a rock, you cannot forget that when Anna Nicole died she tragically left behind a beautiful little girl Dannielynn. Who could inherit part of a 1billion dollar fortune one day. An epic paternity trial ensued and Anna's ex-boyfriend Larry was victorious. In March 2010 the courts determined that Anna Nicole, and therefor Dannielynn, would not recieve any of the billion dollar fortune left behind by Anna's second husband - a man who was 63 years older than she.

Micheal Jackson - His 3 kids
Although untested (as far as the public is aware) there is no question that there are nothing but questions surrounding the paternity of MJ's three children. After his death celbrity gossip sites named countless men who might be the father, and even more countless sources claiming they knew who the father is. I'll surely be controversial in saying so... but I believe it's quite possible that Michael himself is the father.

Kourtney Kardashian - Mason Dash Disik
The eldest Kardashian daughter, Kourtney began her reality TV career on the Filthy Rich Cattle Drive. Kourtney is now appearing on Keeping up with the Kardashians. In Dec of 2009 she gave birth to her son Mason Dash. The child bears the last name of her on again off again boyfriend Scott Disik. When the child was just two months old a potential father came forward and demanded a paternity test. The gossip mags went crazy. The test must have resulted in Scott being the father... because the story never amounted to anything!

Beyonce's Dad - Mathew Knowles

Beyonce and Jay Z together make over 250 million dollars per year. Beyonce's dad probably also makes a very nice salary as he is his daughter's manager. In 2009 his wife of 29 years, Beyonce's mother filed for divorce. Mathew Knowles had not only cheated but had fathered a child with his mistress Alexsandra Wright. There are also rumors that Matthew Knowles is the father of another of Destiny's children. On March 24 TMZ posted a story confirming the paternity results- Mathew Knowles cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child. In other words... he's the daddy!

Keanu Reeves - Not the daddy
In 2009 a woman in Canada alleged that Keanu Reeves was the father of her adult children. She filed suit asking for huge sums of money. Keanu agreed to take a paternity test, although he claimed he'd never met the woman. Test results proved Keanu was not the father.

Gavin Rossdale - Daisy Lowe
Father and daughter knew one another as godfather and goddaughter for 15 years before a paternity test revealed the truth, that Bush frontman and husband of Gwen Stefani was in fact the biological father of Daisy Lowe. Daisy's mother was a friend of Rossdales before either were famous. Rumors have circulated that Gwen Stefani is not happy with the situation, but photos and updates on Rossdale's fan site show a happy family.

John Edwards - Presidential Candidate

Sperm Donor - Ordered to pay child support?

Eddie Murphy - Spice Girl Mel B

Elvis - trust fund for unnamed love child

A brief ancestry DNA lesson

2010-03-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

If you want to have your ancestry tested you are first faced with the daunting task of learning a brand new language. In order to simplify I've begun writing definitions for some of the common terms used by DNA scientists to explain ancestry testing. Here are a few to get you started!

Mitochondrial DNA: this is DNA that is inherited from the mother. All persons inherit this DNA from their mothers. This DNA is not chromosomal DNA, it is DNA found in the mitochondria of your cells. It is inherited from mothers because the mother contribution at conception is of the cell, plus ½ the DNA. The sperm delivers only ½ of the DNA, no mitochondria are donated.

listed in this diagram of a cell as: mitochondrion

your chromosomal DNA is in the nucleus

Y DNA: this is the DNA that is found on the Y chromosome. Men have a Y chromosome, women do not. Men can donate either a Y or an X at conception. If you are male you will have the same Y chromosome as your father. If you are female you will have the same X chromosome as your father, plus one of your mother’s X chromosomes. Testing the YDNA tells you your ancestry on your father's side.

Haplogroup: a means of characterizing individuals based on their DNA. In the past, we’ve grouped people based on race – visual traits such as eye color, skin color etc. contribute to race. We’ve also characterized people by ethnicity – an indication of your country or region of origin. Both systems are flawed for ancestry because of the amount of ‘breeding’ between racial and ethnic groups that has occurred over the last 10 thousand years. Also, consider this: while you may now call yourself a member of the UK, you used to be Scottish, prior to the Roman invasion you were Caledonian, and then prior to that you belonged to a celtic tribe. All of that history in only the last 2000 years! All in an area 1/9 the size of Arizona.

Haplogroups 'fix' the problems associated with race / ethnicity.

Ancestral DNA: a means of categorizing persons based on their DNA.

Autosomal DNA test: your combined identity profile is generated. This is the same profile used to test for paternity and other relationship tests. Then that profile is compared to databases and you are given a percentage match to 4 groups. Those groups are very broad: Native American, European, Sub Saharan African and East Asian.

Since this photo only represents 3 of the 4 general groups, I'm throwing in a picture of

Chief Yellowhorse for good measure:

He's shy... but he said we could post this instead.

Ben, accuser and SheCheated.net

2010-03-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

A big time football star is once again involved in a sex scandal. This sex scandal peaks our interest because the police are involved and they are requesting DNA. The only other recent scandal that I can recall that involved DNA was the Kobe Bryant issue. Kobe was accused of rape. Kobe's lawyers tried to clear Kobe of the deed by asking the victim's boyfriend(S) to supply their DNA as evidence. First of all why did she have boyfriend(s)? I'm just guessing that by asking for more than one the defense team for Kobe was trying to make the woman look bad. Just Guessing!

Now big Ben is also submitting DNA. His accuser visited a hospital just a few hours after she was victimized and reports say she was crying hysterically. She was accompanied by several of her sisters, of the sorority kind. All of which who have been instructed to take down their Facebook and Twitter pages and remain silent. I don't see a house full of women keeping their mouths shut for that long, but I've never been in a sorority so I suppose if the sisterhood is as strong as they say then it's possible. (Good Luck ladies, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.)

DNA testing for rape, or sexual misconduct, or whatever it is that Ben is accused of is a relatively common procedure. So common that you can obtain the same testing to prove that your wife or girlfriend, or husband or boyfriend have cheated. The infidelity / cheating testing procedure involves analyzing a piece of evidence for the presence of multiple sources of DNA. When catching a cheater, the evidence most often tested is a pair of women's panties. Other types of evidence include - stained bed sheets, used condoms, men's underwear, swimming suits, blankets, infamous blue dresses...

Once the evidence is obtained a Forensic Scientist screens the evidence for the presence of semen. Semen has special characteristics that make it unique to all other bodily fluids.

It contains high concentrations of chemicals that are produced by men.
It contains sperm cells which are so numerous that one instance of ejaculation contains 50 to 50 million sperm cells. (Numbers are average, for healthy men.)
It glows under fluorescent light. (other bodily fluids also glow - so don't go rushing out to buy black lights, because you'll likely detect pee, saliva, female ejaculate etc.)

These unique properties make it possible for Forensic analysts to test to see if semen present on a piece of evidence. After a semen screen is conducted a DNA profile is generated from the evidence. The DNA is then compared to the DNA found. Dependent on the situation a match can be used to conclude that infidelity of cheating has occurred.

Sister Puzzles. Red heads.

2010-03-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

I've been working on understanding the complexities of relationship testing for a very long time. Over 10 years now in fact. I've been seeing a pattern in sibling-ship testing for about 4 years now. I have seen people given results in all sorts of cases. I've seen results overturned in courts, I've seen two very old women 're-united' as sisters who are in their 80s. Can you imagine meeting your half sister for the first time at 80 years old?

Cake photo from: http://www.venuscakes.com/

Sibling DNA testing, grandparent DNA testing, Avuncular DNA... is not like paternity testing. The results of those tests rarely give the participants a 99% or higher probability. In the case of all but one scenario, they cannot give a 0%. A 0% is very important. It means, sorry you aren't related. You can get that result in a paternity test, or a grandparent test but ONLY when you test: mother, child, true paternal grandmother and true paternal grandfather. I've seen plenty of results that show a child is certainly related to grandma, but not grandpa (which means grandma was fooling around.) That's another post though.

Results of relationship testing are like a piece of a puzzle. Puzzles have many pieces, DNA testing is only one of the pieces, and depending on what the results of the test are, it can be a meaningful piece, like the corner or just a basic piece, such as the red head of the dog below. You knew it was a dog, but you didn't know it was red.

Let's get back to the 80 year old sisters. Here are their puzzle pieces.

Mom is on her death bed. She confesses a deep secret to Sister 1. Bob, may not be your dad!
Bob tells Sister 1 the he knows mom had an affair and helps Sister 1 find the man.
The man is dead, but he had a daughter who's still alive, Sister 2.
Sister 1 & Sister 2 have so much in common. They both love painting, they both have green eyes, they both have red hair. They both had 3 kids, they both married men in the air force...
Sister 1 does not look anything liker her 'other siblings.' They have blonde hair and blue eyes.
Sister 1 & Sister 2 decide to do a DNA test.
DNA results are 26.6 times more likely to be half siblings = 96%

The DNA results are not great. In fact they are considered only 'fair' on a scale of poor. fair. great. excellent. But, in this case I think they are good enough to call Sister 1 & Sister 2 siblings. First of all it's really unlikely that mom was having an affair with multiple men. Second, all of the other puzzle pieces 1-6 point in the direction that sister 1 & sister 2 are siblings. Third, for a half sibling-ship test the results are expected to be low. If you would like to make those results stronger, one would only need to add more biological relatives to the mix, most importantly the mother's of both sisters.

When we add the mother's of Sister 1 & Sister 2 the results are amplified (watch out mom's are blowing things up again.) The results of the test with all four persons - Mom1, Sister 1, Mom 2, Sister 2 are a whopping 544.2 times more likely to be half siblings = 99%.

iTestDNA has more experience interpreting sibling ship test results than any other company. If you have test results that you just don't understand give us a call, we can help. If you need a test we promise we'll help you understand your results. iTestDNA.net 602-492-4362

Your mother isn't your mother

2010-03-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Ask anyone buying a paternity test and they will tell you they want an accurate test. Anyone who sells paternity will certainly tell their customers that their tests are the most accurate in the industry. In fact some companies will guarantee 99.99% accuracy. Problem is: the accuracy they are promising has nothing to do with how often the lab screws up. It has absolutely nothing to do with the test being right. It has everything to do with probability of paternity. That number is calculated based on the DNA that the child has, the father has and if you're smart... the DNA the mother has. Throw in some allele frequencies, a couple of algebraic calculations and you've got probability of paternity (what the sellers call - accuracy.)

What on earth is a mother doing in a paternity test. We already know she's the mom right!? Well here's the thing. By adding the mother you are essentially amplifying (blowing up) the accuracy of the test a million times.

Back to the question: What on earth is a mother doing in a paternity test. Well, she's not just blowing up the accuracy. She also serves as a quality control. Mom's are great, there are rarely maternity tests done because mom's have the babies, and they take care of them for a really long time. It's rare that they don't know who their children are, even rarer that they need a DNA test to prove it. The great thing about adding mom to a test is that you can use it to make sure the correct child was tested.

Let's say that the father takes a child in to be tested. Results come back and they show he's not the father. Mom is livid! She knows the test can't be right, she was a virgin before him - of course. Now, mom has to go through all the trouble of getting another test, because she HAS to prove that he's the dad.

Mom does not need to re-do the test. She can simply prove that dad faked the test by taking a different child to the lab. She submits her DNA for a maternity test. The result: She's not the mom.

What's great about people who try to cheat the system is that we've seen it all before. There are so many safeguards in paternity test, that not only is in impossible these days to make an error it's also close to impossible to cheat the system. Not only did that father waste a great deal of money in having a paternity test done with a child he knew wasn't his, but he has to explain to his baby momma why he did it. I'd love to be a fly on the wall around that dinner table. The moral of this story: Crime doesn't pay.

Are you interested in learning how to read a paternity test? Are you interested in the calculations? Do you have a test you need professionally reviewed? Give us a call! iTestDNA 602-492-4362

Tiger's a cheater... I bet you are too.

2010-02-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

Infidelity is once again all over the news. Tiger has given his formal apology. He follows Kobe, and before him Clinton. I've been away from the blog for a few days. Busy working on our upcoming infidelity site: shecheated.net. That's SHE cheated.
Are you wondering about all the cheating men out there?! Well believe it or not, it's only the men who tend to need the proof. The ladies don't seem as concerned with concrete evidence, likely because they are much more emotional creatures and once she feels like she's been cheated on then that's enough. Not the guys... they need proof. That's where shecheated will come in.

I've already blogged about what DNA infidelity testing is, here. Instead, I'd like to discuss all the other options. Namely the other testing options and why they just aren't good enough.

Option one - read a list. Lists about cheating read like a top ten list of things that can go wrong in relationships. If you find yourself answering yes to all of them then she probably is cheating, and why aren't you too? If things have really gotten that bad then you'll likely need couples therapy. STAT!

Option two - Buy MY Book! It's incredible how many men (and some women) are cashing in on their misfortunate experience of being cheated on. Literally cashing in. They've all written books about how to avoid a cheating girlfriend. How to recognize the signs, and of course they each have their own list. Lucky for you each thing on their list is has an entire chapter dedicated to it. Good luck finding proof that YOUR girlfriend or wife is cheating in a book.

Option three - SPY. That's right Sherlock get out your pocket book, because you're either going to have to buy some expensive high tech equipment or hire a private investigator who has his own high tech equipment. If you want to buy equipment here's a great place to do it: Spy Headquarters.

Option four - Buy a kit online. I'm not going to give you the names or websites for these kits. Because they are crap. Think of it this way, would your doctor just take your word for it that you or your lady is pregnant? NO. Let's not deny that the at home pregnancy tests are useful, but no one trusts them for a final answer. With the future of your relationship, sometimes the future of your marriage riding on the results of the at home infidelity test it might be important to mention that these tests are generally as useful for detecting pee, as they are for detecting semen. The makers won't tell you that though. What they also won't tell you is how to use them. That's right, once you buy it you're on your own. The instructions seem to have been written by the same guy who answers the phone when your computer won't work. He's not exactly fluent in English. Of course we'd like to believe that if you need help you can just call the company you bought the kit from. They're happy to answer the phone if you wan't to buy more kits, but if you have questions then someone will get back to you. Later... much later... maybe never.

The moral of this mystery? Relationships are messy. If you think you're being cheated on don't waste your time with lists, books, expensive private investigators or urine kits. (Which by the way can detect cat pee too! - useful huh.) Get real proof. Use DNA.

www.shecheated.net

You're not a man. You don't have a Y Chromosome.

2010-02-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

DNA testing for identification such as paternity, relationship, ancestry, infidelity etc. involves the use of 16 genetic markers. One of those markers is amelogenin, which is actually a functioning gene. In identification testing amel is used as a quality control. It is used to determine the gender of the person who submitted the sample. On the paperwork that is sent with DNA samples the gender of all participants is listed. Alleged father's are assumed to be men. But sometimes the test results indicate otherwise.

One such test involved a man who really didn't want to be the father of a female child. When the samples were analyzed the mother, the child and the father all resulted in XX. (Women are XX, and men are XY.) After some careful detective work we determined that the man had fraudulently had his new girlfriend send her DNA rather than his. But, what if a man really didn't have a Y chromosome?

What if the laboratory said: We can't list your gender on our final report because you don't seem to have a Y chromosome. Which means, you might not be a man. (not really) While there is a very small possibility that you are an XX male. (more about XX males below) It's more likely that you have a small mutation on your Y chromosome that makes it difficult to analyze. To understand we'll have to look at how DNA testing is conducted.

Using a method called PCR, specific pieces of your DNA are cut from the rest and studied. Those places are called markers.

Imagine we have three maps of the world. On each map there is a dot for New York City. On the first map the dot is blue, on the second it's black and on the third it's red. If we apply this to DNA: NY city (marker) exists on each map, but they are different. At the NY city marker your DNA is blue. Mine is black and her's is red.
In order to find your color we have to be able to see it on the map. To see it, scientists use special chemicals called primers that find your NY city and look at it. The primers find your NY city by looking for a specific sequence and attaching themselves to it. To attach to it, primer's have to match it.

Your DNA: NY_CITY

Primer DNA: NY_CITY

MATCH!

Some people's DNA can be 'broken' and the primer can't find it. Broken DNA might look like this:

Your DNA: NY_ZITY

Primer DNA: NY_CITY

NO MATCH.

Scientists would have no data for you at the NY City Maker. At your NY City there would be no dot. This kind of broken DNA is called a primer binding site mutation. If a man had a primer binding site mutation at the marker used for gender it might appear that he didn't have a Y chromosome. Thankfully there are other tests that can be run to confirm that the Y chromosome is present.

However, if those other tests were run and it appeared that he still didn't have a Y chromosome then it may be possible that he has an incredibly rare disorder called XX Male syndrome. I just ran across this journal article about an XX Man. This man is not able to have children and it is likely that other men with the same syndrome would also be infertile.

There are many types of mutations that can be found while testing DNA for identification. None of which is an indication that you or your children will have health problems. If you are concerned that you may have genetic diseases, send me an email I can refer you to a genetic counselor. I'm not a doctor, not a therapist or any other kind of genetic specialist. But I'm happy to help you find one. Call Christie at 602-492-4362, or contact iTestDNA here.

Here are some other interesting oddities a paternity test might result in:

Your mother isn't really your mother. But it's ok because we found your father.
Our records indicate you are also the father of 3 other children.
You are a mutant, but not the cool Xmen kind.
Your not the dad, but some related to you probably is.

I'll be blogging about them in the coming days.

Can I get a paternity test before my baby is born?

2010-02-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Prenatal Paternity involves testing the DNA of an unborn child before a woman gives birth. The first thing to know is that it involves a risky procedure that only a doctor can perform. The doctor collects fetal cells, and sends them to the laboratory to be tested. Doctor's obtain the DNA via amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, CVS. Then the mother's DNA, the babies DNA and the DNA from the alleged father is compared in the standard paternity procedure.

WebMD information on Amniocentesis here.

WebMD information on Chorionic Villus Sampling here.

Most women seeking a prenatal paternity test find themselves too young to obtain a CVS or amnio. Most doctors will not perform those tests unless they are deemed medically necessary. Amnio and CVS are deemed necessary when a woman is over the age of 35 or has a history of genetic illness in her family. An amnio or CVS is performed and samples are sent to medical genetics laboratories for testing. It is estimated that 1 in 100 procedures performed lead to complications.Such, complications include miscarriage.

When a woman calls us seeking a test we ask a series of questions. Depending on their answers we can help them, or we have to ask them to consult their doctor and call us back. Here are those initial questions.

1. What is her age?

If she is under the age of 35 we ask if she is aware of what an amnio or CVS is. Is she aware of the risk associated with these procedures?

2. How does she intend to pay for the amnio or CVS?

Is she aware that our fees do not cover those procedures and what they cost. If a doctor has not scheduled an amnio or CVS for another reason she will have to pay for those costs out of pocket. They range from $4000 to $9000. DNA testing fees are in addition to those fees.

3. Can she put us in contact with her doctor?

We will need to coordinate collection and delivery of DNA samples from the procedure to the laboratory.

While prenatal paternity testing is an option, it is not one to be taken lightly. Recent studies suggest that the outcome of results occasionally leads to abortion. For that reason alone, may doctors refuse to participate in the procedure.

There are other tests on the market suggesting that prenatal testing can be done using only the mother's blood. iTestDNA is currently not offering that testing but we are looking into the possibility of doing so.

101 Historic Paternity & DNA Stories

2010-02-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

COMING SOON!

Can't have a baby? Rent a womb in India.

2010-02-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

Surrogacy has been all over the news lately thanks to a woman in Michigan who was paid to be a surrogate and ended up keeping the babies (twins). Her name is Shelly Baker. The most surprising part of the story is that Shelly is not even biologically related to the children. Shelly only carried the children, her eggs were not used in the 'creation' of the babies. Scott and Amy Kehoe paid for all of the medical costs including the eggs and sperm from donors and are not biologically related to the children either. In Michigan the laws surrounding surrogacy are very weak and since Shelly Baker carried the children her connection to them trumps the monetary connection that the Kehoe's have. Kehoe Baker surrogacy story here.

This type of situation, while rare is occurring more and more often. Consider the case of Joe and John. Joe and John are married because in their state gay marriage is legal. Joe and John believe that the next logical step after marriage is to have a child together. Unfortunately for Joe and John neither of them is able to become pregnant. (Science isn't there yet... I'll update the blog when it is!) Joe and John have rented a womb. Womb For Rent Story Here. A woman in India is pregnant with their children. She is carrying two babies. Joe and John are hoping that one belongs to each of them, as they both donated sperm. Currently there is a huge market for surrogacy in India. The laws surrounding surrogacy are well written and in the favor of the parents paying for the procedures. The fees are much lower than one finds in the United States and since the laws are favorable many straight and gay Americans are opting to fulfill their dreams of parenthood in India. Since the children are born abroad the United States Department of Homeland Security is requiring DNA testing for the children to obtain passports before they are brought home to the US.

http://delhi-ivf.com/index.html

Joe and John are seeking DNA testing for two reasons. First they want to know which of the children belong to which father. Joe and John are hoping that they have each fathered one child. Second they can prove via a DNA paternity test that they are the biological father's of the babies. The children are then eligible for US passports and citizenship. In order to accomplish this, Joe and John have called on iTestDNA for help. We are wishing them luck.

www.itestdna.net

Paternity Fraud: Kardashian Paternity Test

2010-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

We all saw this one coming, Kourtney K. (the short sister) who had a baby in December is once again gossip fodder. Here's the US story on the birth. The latest news is that an aspiring

model named Michael Girgenti is claiming he could be the father of the baby. He claims he wants to be a part of the child's life. I think he wants to cash in on the Kardashian goldmine. Whatever touches that family turns to gold. Personally I think it's good that a man is doing this, unfortunate for the family, but its proof that men are just as gold digging as women.
Brings up a great point. Paternity Fraud.

Scary statistic inserted here: I just spent 10 minutes searching the internet for an appropriate site to link to. I wanted to give some real stats on paternity fraud. I wanted to find a site that explained this phenomenon. Every single site I found was a site selling paternity testing? Not cool.

I did however find a listing on LA County's Child Support site explaining a new law in California that can help you stop paying child support for children that aren't yours.

Last week I got the opportunity to speak to a man who is being fingered in a paternity suit. The child in this case is 15. He has never received notice of his possible paternity before now. He wasn't present when the child was born, he has never had contact with the child. If he is proven the father it is very likely that he will have to pay child support for this child he has never met. Not only that, he will likely be ordered to pay back support. Some states have laws on how many years of back support that can be levied. Some states will only prosecute for 3-5 years of back support. Other states might ask for all 15 years. Let's look at how much that is:

$63,000 Shocked? Don't be. The average cost for raising a child until the age of 18 is almost 200,000. Imagine contributing a portion of that amount to a child that isn't yours. There are countless of men out there that do.

Here's an excerpt from an email I received recently:

all i want is to know if he is or isn't. i understand that this is mostly a woman issue, trying to get paternity tested, but i have seen more and more that it is becoming a guy issue. men aren't heartless pigs that we are suppose to be. courts are biased towards the mother in almost ever facet, granting custody. i have three friends of mine that are trying to get child support from women because they got custody, and the courts are biased on that as well. There needs to be a rethinking if men in child custody, child support, and having men in the lives of children in general.

The simple truth is that men need to be careful, one of the easiest ways for a women to get paid for the rest of her life is to finger a man in a paternity suit. In a lot of states she doesn't even need proof. Married? Wife cheated... well since you were married to her at the time she gave birth then you are the dad, and being the dad brings it's friend child support with it.

Moral of the story... just buy the test! DEMAND THE TEST! Know your rights... and wear a condom!

There are no American Ancestry Groups... sorry!

2010-02-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

In November of 2009 the first American since 1982 won the NY marathon. The winner, Meb Keflezighi also participated in the 2004 Olympics. So, it didn't come as a huge surprise that he should place. It's fantastic that an American won, we should all be proud. Problem is that some people think that Meb is not an American. Unfortunately he didn't have the luxury of being born in American. He moved to the US as a child from Eritrea. He then became a US citizen and has been a citizen for the last 22 years. Doesn't that count? According to DNA, no. But if our litmus tests for being an American is in the DNA then there are only about 1.5% of us who can call ourselves American. That's about 4,300,000 people who call themselves Native American. (more about Native American DNA in an upcoming blog)

So, DNA testing can also tell us our ancestry? That's great because I am adopted and I need to know who my father is. I just send in a sample and you can tell me his name right? Sorry that's not how it works. In fact scientific DNA ancestry testing can really only tell you something about your mother's mother's mother etc. etc. etc. or father's father's father etc. etc. etc. who lived about 10,000 years ago. That's right - 10 thousand years - not a typo. But, I heard that Oprah was able to trace her ancestry to a specific tribe in Africa? And a few days ago I heard that Larry David, the quintessential hollywood jew is about 1/3 Native American. Larry David revealed that information on the new George Lopez's Lopez Tonight. George Lopez says there are only 4 ancestry groups. I am so confused. You should be! First off you are taking scientific advice from Oprah and George Lopez. Why are you doing that?

The truth is this: currently DNA ancestry testing is pretty good at giving you some clues as to what your ancestral origins might be. I feel awful about writing that sentence, it sounds like a disclaimer... Let me break down for you.

DNA ancestry testing is pretty good: it's not great. It's limited. DNA is a fantastic tool, it is like a roadmap. Let's say I want to drive from my house to a friend's house in Colorado. There are thousands of ways I could choose to get there. There are so many different roads, and pit stops I could take. DNA ancestry is like choosing the fastest option on google maps. A DNA ancestry test will only give you the one route to your ancestry (Colorado) even though there are thousands that exist. Why? Well, because it's a fairly new science and we need to know a lot more about population genetics before we can start to see those other 999 routes.

DNA ancestry gives you some clues: Here again we run into the limitations of DNA. These ones however aren't DNAs fault, they are yours. If we were to draw a family tree and go back just 10 generations you have over 1000 ancestors. DNA ancestry testing can only tell you about 10 of the women, and 10 of the men in those 1000. And they are a very specific 10 women. They are your mom, her mom, and her mom... and it goes on. Who they are NOT: your mom and her dad, and his mom and her dad. It's a straight line of women. What about those other 489 ladies? Sorry, DNA can't tell you much about them.

DNA ancestry tells you what your ancestral origins might be: The most famous ancestry test we know of involves a group of African American's who are the descendants of Thomas Jefferson. Below is a picture of Shanon Lanier, a proven descendant of Thomas Jefferson. He's NOT the white guy.

While we know that Lanier has what is called a caucasian haplogroup, it's likely that if we do a different kind of DNA ancestry test we'll find that Lanier belongs to the same African tribe as Oprah. Why? Because not every ancestry test is the same. Some are based on your autosomal DNA profile. Those tests provide you with the same profile that is used in paternity testing and then analyze each of your alleles. Other tests tell you your Y chromosome haplogroup and still others will result in your mitochondrial haplogroup. By the way, a LOT of African American men are finding out that they are 'caucasian.'

Final thoughts: Make sure you understand what you are buying before you dive in and send your swab to just any company. Here are some cool links that I know are legit.

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html

http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mcdonald/WorldHaplogroupsMaps.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1180600/

http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/11/geneticists-sound-note-of-caution-over-dna-ancestry-testing.ars

heteropaternal superfecundation AGAIN: Fertile Myrtle and two baby daddies

2010-01-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Another instance of heteropaternal superfecundation has occurred in the world. Here's the story from a newspaper in Turkey. So what is it? Here's an oversimplified explanation: a very fertile woman releases two eggs, and each egg is fertilized by the sperm of a different man.

hetero = different
paternal = father
super = power
fecundation = ability to have children

The shocking part is this: the woman must have intercourse with the different men in a very small time frame. This is the fourth such story I've come across in the last two years. Most recently we learned of a mom in Dallas, TX whose sons have different fathers. Here's a story about those twins.

What are the odds? Scientist say that the odds are a million to one. There are currently about 7 billion people on earth. Which means that there could be 7,000 sets of twins out there who have different fathers. This is possible, but not probable. Statistics remind us to take into account how likely it is that a women is having intercourse with more than one man during the very small window of time that she will get pregnant. Most women probably aren't.

The sudden increase in the number of these cases could mean that scientists are wrong, and the odds are actually much better than a million to one. It could also mean that women are becoming much more promiscuous. No matter what the cause, the moral of the story is clear. If you have twins, or could possibly be the father of twins, the only way to know for sure who the father is of BOTH is to test them both.

An added bonus of having both twins tested? You'll know for sure if they are identical. Doctor's use an inspection of the placenta(s) to determine if twins are identical or not. Quite often during multiple births the placenta(s) are damaged making it difficult to be sure. A DNA test gives 100% certainty.

Here's a set of famous twins: Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen

Secret DNA Testing: Annie's Mailbox. Salt Lake City UT.

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

I just happened to stumble across this article today. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705361216/Annies-Mailbox-Forgo-the-paternity-test-and-love-your-daughter.html. First up, I'm going to ignore the fact that this article is from a newspaper in Salt Lake City. I don't think that the prominent religious attitude has anything to do with the question or the answer. But then again, 4 kids? Here's proof that people in Utah have more kids. There, I feel better, found some solid data. Back to the point at hand.
The article is a 'Dear Annie'. Here's the story: A man has 4 grown kids. His wife is dead and he's questioning if he's really the father of daughter number 2. He's wondering if there's any way to do a 'secret DNA test.' Annie answers him with the following:

There are ways to get specimens, but we are asking you not to do this. We urge you to convince yourself she is yours and believe it with all your heart, because in the most important sense, it is true.

Seriously? What century are we in?

First off, of course there are ways of doing a DNA test without the parties knowing. Recently a woman contacted us wanting to test her teenage son and her husband, without either of them knowing. After 15 years she needed to know if her husband was really the father. But before she broke the news to either of them she felt it was best if she knew the truth. She sent her son's toothbrush and her husband's cigarette butt. After comparing the two profiles from those secret items, sadly the result was an exclusion. There was a 0% probability of those 2 items being from a biological father and son.

I'm not going to deny that Annie is right about the daughter. In the most important sense this man is the father. But it's eating at him so much that he writes into a newspaper seeking answers? He deserves to know the truth. My advice to Annie is to help the man find the answer to his question, then let the psychoanalysis begin. Until then Annie should stick to baking cookies for her undoubtedly large family.

Here's Annie and family's State Dress Code. Just for kicks.

SheCheated? HeCheated? Do you have DNA Proof?

2010-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin, are in the news again. She's staying to work on the marriage. For the kids. More here. The 'news' of their marriage and the infidelity probably won't stop anytime soon. Why? Because cheating is a big deal. Just how many people cheat is a statistic that's hard to pin down but it's about equal. Men 50%; Women 50%. The internet is full of staggering statistics on cheating. Here are a couple of sites for the ladies:
http://www.womansavers.com/infidelity-statistics.asp
http://womensissues.about.com/u/ua/malefemaleattitudes/HeCheatedOnMeReaderResponses.htm

And for the guys:
http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/infidelitystats.html
http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_200/222_dating_girl.html

Each of these websites gives tips, directions, how-tos etc. etc. on how to catch a cheater. Elin Nordegren didn't have to follow any of these instructions and neither should you. Cheating can easily be PROVEN via DNA, semen screening or a combination of both. And it should be. You shouldn't rely on a book or website, or your instincts.
Confronting your spouse or boyfriend/ girlfriend without real proof is not a good idea. Each of these websites reads like a recipe... Is he distant? Check. Is she staying late at work? Check. Won't answer the phone when you're around? Check. Unexplained credit card charges? Check. Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese: Noodles? Check. Milk? Check. Butter? Check. What happens if you don't boil those noodles and mix in the cheese? You won't exactly have an edible dish will you?
It's the same idea with cheating check lists, websites and books. They don't work. Why? Because no matter how many ingredients you might have, without cooking they don't add up to anything. You need proof. DNA testing gives you that proof.

The Thong Song leads to a Paternity Test, shocked?

2010-01-25T21:44:00.000-08:00

Look around. Promiscuity is everywhere! So much so that we have an entire genre of music dedicated to it. I'm not going to be coy, Hip Hop is Sex and Sex is Hip Hop and Hip Hop is Sex and you get the point. Just to be sure I wasn't imagining this phenomenon I took a quick look at today's music charts at www.billboard.com. Here's a sampling of a few songs off the top 100. Sexy Chick, artist Akon. I Invented Sex, artist Drake. Baby by Me, artist 50 cent. The last one is by far my favorite, I feel it ties in very well with this article.
The Thong Song was practically a cultural movement in 1999. It's lyrics chronicle a nasty fashion trend involving ladies panties. Wikipedia's definition of thong here. Those who remember the song and the artist can't forget his white hair and flashy gold jewelry. One fan in particular who will never forget Sisqo is Jamila Furid. Swedish Jamila claims that at the age of 14 she met Sisqo at a concert and the result is her now 10 year old son. Sisqo is of course denying the whole thing, claiming he was never in Sweden in 1999. Read Sisqo's response here.

We could dwell all day on the drama. What's more important though is that the courts in Sweden are ordering Sisqo to pay child support. Sisqo has never had contact with this child and has never participated in a paternity test. One might think... well that's uber liberal Sweden for you. But you should know, this kind of thing happens in the United States EVERYDAY. Each state has varying laws, but here are a few I find a bit crazy. Texas: It's illegal to divorce a woman while she's pregnant, even if the baby is not the husband's. Arizona: If you are married at the time of birth, you are the father. Since you are the father, you pay child support. Want to dispute this? 1. Get a lawyer. 2. Get a legal paternity test. Even then, it will be an uphill battle. At the time of this posting I'm not aware of any child support payment cases that have been overturned. As soon as you relinquish that first penny, you are obligated to pay child support for that child, for the rest of his or her life. It's not just. But it's the state of things today. Father's rights groups, Paternity Fraud groups and mobs of angry men are forming everywhere.

Is my boyfriend or the sperm donor the father?

2010-01-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

A lot of celebrity news has been circulating lately regarding sperm donors. Quite a few prominent hollywood couples have become parents thanks to donations. Melissa Etheridge famously received donor sperm from fellow musician David Crosby. Other celebutots' parentage remains a secret, think Michael Jackson's three kids. Melissa Etheridge fans click here!
The reasons that people choose to use sperm donors vary. Most people think that only lesbian couples and single women use sperm donors. Sometimes a man's plumbing doesn't work correctly and a couple has to rely on sperm donors to satisfy parentage. Other times a woman finds herself older, with a successful career but single with no marital prospects. As they say, the biological clock starts ticking and soon she finds herself yearning for a child. This scenario is so popular in modern culture that Jennifer Anniston is reportedly starring in a film with Jason Bateman called The Baster. IMDb lists the plot of the movie: An unmarried 40-year old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. The Baster movie info here.

But the title of this blog is... is my boyfriend or the sperm donor the father? A recent paternity case involved a prominent career woman, a prenatal paternity sample and a sperm donation. The woman was over the age of 35, so her doctor requested a routine prenatal genetic analysis. (Health professionals note that the chance of a child being born with a genetic abnormality increases when the mother is over the age of 35.) The doctor simply obtained a second prenatal sample and sent it to the laboratory for paternity testing. The sperm bank sent an identical sample to that used during her insemination and the samples were compared for paternity. The boyfriend was unaware of all of this. The woman had met him just months prior, and she had kept her insemination a secret. As the relationship progressed things between the woman and her boyfriend became serious. She was already pregnant but wondering how to explain it all to her boyfriend. Was the baby his? or had she conceived via insemination? Turns out the baby daddy was the sperm donor. We'll never know how she explained all of this to him, or even if she did.
While this case is by no means frequent, it is destined to become so. Some sperm donors pay extra for 'special sperm.' I recently visited a website with an ad stating, Graduate Donor's Are Here! Find a donor that has his Master's or Doctorate. Another ad, Donor Look-A-Likes, Have you ever wondered if your favorite donor looks like someone famous? But the question is, what guarantee do you have that you get the right sperm? Who knows, you could be paying for the sperm of an Ivy League Brain Surgeon but getting sperm from a high school dropout working at Taco Bell. To ensure parents get what they pay for we'll see an increase in these tests. I wouldn't be surprised if sperm banks start offering the service.
If you're interested in learning more about untraditional methods of becoming pregnant and the social implications, I highly suggest Remaking Eden by Lee Silver.

How to Fake a Paternity Test: Buy an At Home Kit.

2010-01-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

Once again a major public figure found thier way into the news this past week in the name of paternity. Former Senator John Edwards, who you may remember as a presidential candidate, finally admitted he was the father of the baby mothered by his mistress Reille Hunter. The story is causing quite a stir as allegations of intended paternity fraud by the father come to light. The admission comes because a former aide to Edwards is making bold claims in his upcoming book that Edwards asked him to claim the child was his. However, Edwards went even further and asked the aide to fake a paternity test, showing the child was not his. More on Edwards Paternity Scandal Here

Such behavior is not unheard of. Paternity testing has gone mainstream. One can now buy a test kit at most major drugstores. The question is, should you? The truth is no. For one thing you should never have to pay for a testing kit. Such supplies are included in the cost of all tests. Compare it to buying dinner at a restaurant. You wouldn't pay seperately for the cost of your plates and silverware to eat the food with would you?
Back to the point at hand, how to fake a paternity test. First let's look at how a private at home test, is handled. The laboratory receives a set of DNA samples provided by you and labeled with the names of the participants (child and father.) Those names are assigned to each DNA profile. The profiles from each sample are compared in the same way as a legal set of samples.
However, with a private test the laboratory has absolutely no way to verify their validity. For example, I could obtain a DNA sample from my best friend and label those samples my own. I could also obtain a sample from my father and send the two in. The DNA results would show that my father's and my profiles do not match. Voila, my dad is not my dad.
There are a lot of people out there that do this. For example, I was recently involved in a test where a man asked his new girlfriend to submit samples for him. The samples obviously did not match the child he had fathered with this old girlfriend. What's funny is that DNA testing using gender as a quality control. The samples that were sent from him showed that we were comparing two women for paternity. Many additional tests were run to be sure that our results were correct. In the end we asked that the man submit samples again, at no additional cost. Once again the man had his new girlfriend submit the samples. In the end the man was confronted and admitted his deceit.
What's truley sad is that I know there are people out there who believe results that are wrong. Moral of the story: If you're going to buy an at home test kit be sure you know WHO the samples come from.