Fathers Seeking to Confirm Paternity Through DNA Testing on the Rise

FAIRFIELD, Ohio, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Paternity has been pushed into the national spotlight by the recent allegations toward teen pop star Justin Bieber. While tabloids buzz with celebrity paternity stories, thousands of men across the country face the same issue daily and turn to DNA paternity testing to either confirm or refute their relationship to children.  According to DDC (DNA Diagnostics Center), the largest provider of private paternity testing worldwide, questions about paternity testing from men have increased annually and now account for about 40% of all inquiries. 

"As one of the leading companies in DNA testing, we're seeing an increase in calls by men seeking paternity answers, especially for cases where there are disputes or where chain of custody is important," said Dr. Michael Baird, chief science officer for DDC. "In the case of DDC, we're an accredited AABB laboratory that maintains a chain of custody reporting structure to ensure results of a test can be presented in court, if needed."

About 500,000 paternity cases were performed in the United States last year, according to the AABB (aabb.org), the professional society that accredits paternity testing laboratories, in its latest annual report. Establishing paternity is important for the child to have access to legal and social benefits (including social security, veterans and inheritance benefits), provides an accurate medical history and strengthens the bond between father and child. In fact, most state laws require an unmarried couple to complete an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) at the hospital to establish parental rights.

"If there are any questions about who the father is, a DNA test is recommended," Dr. Baird states.  "About 1 out of every 3 tested alleged fathers is found to not be the biological father of a child.  After an AOP is provided to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, couples have the option of amending the document with a DNA paternity test to confirm parental rights or fathers have the option of securing a DNA test to establish paternity. However, there is a limited time for the validation to take place. Until that time, parental rights are not fully protected."

In addition to paternity testing services, DDC also provides expert DNA testing for family relationship, adoption, immigration, forensics and ancestry. For more information on DDC visit online at dnacenter.com or call 800-362-2368.

About DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC)

For 16 years, DDC has been the largest provider of private DNA paternity and other DNA tests in the U.S. and worldwide, offering comprehensive DNA testing services for paternity and other family relationships, forensics, cell line authentication, and ancestry. The Company is also known for its groundbreaking technologies, including an exclusive license for the most innovative and accurate non-invasive prenatal paternity test using SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) Microarray Technology, which only requires a simple blood draw from the mother and alleged father. Other services provided by DDC include DDC Veterinary, the animal DNA testing division, which provides innovative, quality DNA testing for companion and sport animals. DDC was the first to adopt robotics technology in its laboratory processes, ensuring highly stringent and efficient handling of DNA samples. DDC's unique Dual Process™ ensures all professionally collected DNA samples are independently tested twice producing legal results of unmatched quality and reliability. DDC is recognized through a number of accreditations nationally and internationally achieving perfect ratings in its past 16 inspections including those performed by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). DDC is also accredited by ACLASS to meet the standards of ISO 17025 and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board International and follows the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) guidelines, which attests to DDC's superior forensic testing service. For more information: www.dnacenter.com or 1-800-362-2368. 

SOURCE DNA Diagnostics Center