<P> Current advances in genetic testing have led to the ability to determine who the biological father is while the woman is still pregnant through a non-invasive method . There is a small amount of fetal DNA (cffDNA) present in the mother's blood during pregnancy . This allows for accurate fetal DNA paternity testing during pregnancy from a blood draw with no risk of miscarriage . Studies have shown that cffDNA can first be observed as early as 7 weeks gestation, and the amount of cffDNA increases as the pregnancy progresses . There are only four companies with headquarters in the United States offering a noninvasive prenatal paternity test: DDC, Viaguard Accu - metrics, Ravgen and Natera . </P> <P> The DNA of an individual is the same in somatic (nonreproductive) cell . Sexual reproduction brings the DNA of both parents together randomly to create a unique combination of genetic material in a new cell, so the genetic material of an individual is derived from the genetic material of both their parents in equal amounts . This genetic material is known as the nuclear genome of the individual, because it is found in the nucleus . </P> <P> Comparing the DNA sequence of an individual to that of another individual can show whether one of them was derived from the other . However, DNA paternity tests are not currently 100% accurate . Specific sequences are usually looked at to see whether they were copied verbatim from one of the individual's genome to the other . If that was the case, then the genetic material of one individual could have been derived from that of the other (i.e. one is the parent of the other). Besides the nuclear DNA in the nucleus, the mitochondria in the cells also have their own genetic material termed the mitochondrial DNA . Mitochondrial DNA comes only from the mother, without any shuffling . </P> <P> Proving a relationship based on comparison of the mitochondrial genome is much easier than that based on the nuclear genome . However, testing the mitochondrial genome can prove only if two individuals are related by common descent through maternal lines only from a common ancestor and is, thus, of limited value (for instance, it could not be used to test for paternity). </P>

Where do you get a paternity test done