| How accurate are the DNA paternity test results?DNACANADA paternity tests are the most reliable results available and are extremely accurate. When samples are collected by a third party, the results can be used in court for divorce, child support, inheritance or even criminal cases (forensics). Typically, test results probabilities are greater than 99.99%.
How old must the child be?There are no age restrictions for DNA test participants. When collection is performed by an adult as directed, the cheek swabs are even safe for infants. Must the biological mother be part of the test?It is not required, but testing the biological mother of the child always strengthens the paternity test result and increases the likelihood of obtaining a conclusive result.Therefore, DNACANADA strongly recommends testing the biological mother.
What if the alleged father is not available?Very often, paternity can still be determined by testing other relatives of the alleged father, like the alleged father's parents. Testing can also be done for a brother or sister of the child or a brother or sister of the alleged father. How will I receive my results?Your results will be available for download at www.IDENTIGENE.com. You will need your username and password to download your results. You may also call 1-888-404-4363 to recive your results over the telephone. When calling for your results you will be required to supply your password.
When do I pay for the paternity test?You will need to pay for the paternity tests when you order your Paternity Test Kit. Payment can be made with a credit card or by money order. Personal Checks are not accepted. Are blood samples more accurate than cheek cells?No. DNA testing with cheek cells gets the same, accurate results as testing with blood samples, skin tissue, hair samples, etc. The DNA is the same, whether it is extracted from cheek, blood, or other cell. Do I have to use all three swabs for each person?Yes. By providing three (3) swabs for each person to the laboratory, we reduce the chance of needing a new collection. Each paternity test participant should use all three (3) swabs and place the swabs in the specimen envelope provided, noting the person’s name, date of birth, race description, and their relationship to the other participants. Each envelope needs a consent signature that matches the name provided for each of the paternity test participants, and/or a legal guardian consent signature for anyone under age 18.
DNA is uniquely different for each person and some DNA is harder to extract than others. Generally, sending three (3) swabs gives us enough DNA to work with for any person in order to complete a DNA analysis. What if the father and mother are in a different province?For home paternity tests, you have several options:
1. You can send the kit, with your collected samples to the person who lives in another province then they can collect their samples and send them all to DNA Canada.
2. DNA Canada can split up the kit, mail you your portion and you would provide the address of the other participant(s) in order that we can mail the other half to the different address. We would provide a self addressed envelope for both participants and have all the samples mailed directly to DNA Canada.
If you prefer to send the samples in separately, please call us at 888-404-4363 in order that we may take down the appropriate information to ensure that the samples match before they are sent to the lab.
A paternity test for legal purposes, such as child support, requires a collection by a professional, DNA Canada uses the Victorian Order of Nurses to do all our collections for the legal tests. Contact us at 888-404-4363 and arrange the collection appointments for each person in the test. Can I use Q-tips instead of the swabs?No. The swabs provided in the DNA Paternity Test kit are made out of synthetic materials designed specifically to collect cheek cells. What if two alleged fathers are related?In cases where two or more alleged fathers are related to each other, definitive results are still possible.
For the most conclusive results, test both alleged fathers. The biological mother should be included as well.
If both fathers cannot be tested, be sure you let our lab know that there is a second, related alleged father who is not being tested.
However if the two alleged fathers are identical twins their DNA profiles may be identical and there would be no way to distinguish between the two.
For more details, or for specific help with your paternity testing case, please contact DNA Canada at 888-404-4363.
Do you offer a DNA test to determine Ancestry?No, unfortunately we no longer offer the Ancestry by DNA test. Do I need court-admissible test results?If you are testing for legal purposes, such as child support, child custody or estate planning you will likely need a court-admissible test.
Whether for legal or personal purposes, the DNA test results are the same. When testing for legal purposes, the Victorian Order of Nurses, a Certified Collector or personal physician or a nurse in your community, must do the DNA Collection for all parties involved and verify the identity of each person before collecting the samples.
How are samples collected (how does this test work)?Samples are collected via cheek swabs. Cheek swabs are convenient and safe for participants of any age, including infants.
Each participant should use three (3) swabs and place the swabs in the specimen envelope provided, noting the person’s name, date of birth, race description, and (if applicable) their relationship to the other participants. Each envelope needs a consent signature that matches the name provided for each of the participants, and/or a legal guardian consent signature for anyone under age 18.
Can the test detect diseases, ancestry or other genetic information?No, the DNA markers (loci) we use for paternity testing are not informative for genetic defects, medical conditions, eye color, hair color, ancestry, etc. They are used solely for paternity testing and relationship testing. Can I do a test before the child is born?No, we do not provide amniotic fluid testing. Amniocentesis (also referred to as amniotic fluid test or AFT), is a medical procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains fetal tissues, is extracted from the amnion or amniotic sac surrounding a developing fetus, and the fetal DNA is examined for genetic abnormalities. In Canada physicians will not extract amniotic fluid to determine paternity. Can I add a second child or second alleged father to a paternity test?Yes.
When ordering just let your test consultant know that you need to test additional people. Please note: an additional fee will apply for each additional person being tested. Can someone tamper with the swabs or the results of the Paternity Test?If someone tampers with a swab, it is likely to be discovered in the lab as a contaminated specimen. If DNA samples from two people are mixed, both profiles will be detected. A new collection is required when any contaminated sample is discovered.
To address concerns about the identity of each person in the test, we recommend a DNA paternity test for legal purposes.
Results from a personal DNA paternity test (or ‘Peace of Mind’ paternity test) have the same accuracy and are just as conclusive as a legal paternity test.
Legal DNA paternity tests, under the guidelines of the AABB and ISO, require an independent collector to verify the identification of each paternity test participant and witness the collection of the DNA sample. This type of collection provides proof of identification for each test participant along with your paternity test results and is generally court admissible. How long does DNA testing take?Paternity test results typically take about 10 business days from the time that all samples are received by DNA Canada. Other tests, like grandparent, sibling, or aunt/uncle tests, may take up to 4 weeks.
DNA is uniquely different for each person and some tests may require additional time for analysis or testing. How can I pay for testing?Payment for your DNA paternity test may be made either by credit card or postal money order. Personal checks are not accepted. Is my information kept private and confidential?Your information is absolutely kept confidential. DNACANADA requires password authentication and other case-specific information before any details can be discussed or released.
A DNA test client can request that results be sent to a third-party, such as an attorney, or spouse, by providing DNA Canada with written authorization to add any new person as a contact for the case or to request an additional hard copy report.
Is my test due date guaranteed?We cannot guarantee a ‘turn around time’ for your results, though most of our tests are completed well within the expected time frame. Because DNA is uniquely different for everyone, some tests may require additional analysis or testing. Can I have results sent to more than one location?DNACANADA will provide a copy of the results to the person who has paid for the personal paternity test. Additional copies may be requested by calling 1-888-404-GENE. | | |
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