DNA Paternity Testing Where the Parent is Deceased

The most common form of DNA testing, used to establish the biological relationship between two or more people, is the paternity test. This is generally employed to resolve disputed paternity, and usually involves a simple test employing a sample collected using an oral swab. However, in cases where the alleged father is deceased, this paternity test is more awkward, and the sampling procedures more complicated.

Alternative Testing Options to a Paternity Test

It might seem that once the alleged father has died, the truth of paternity will die with him. That is not in fact true, and there are ways establishing paternity, even if the alleged father is no longer with us. Naturally, the situation is more complex, but techniques such as DNA Relationship Testing are available, that can establish a relationship by determining the DNA profiles of close family members. A child’s DNA can be compared to that of its alleged grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. In this way, it is possible to determine paternity indirectly without doing a direct paternity test.

Apart from that, direct DNA screening can still be carried out in certain circumstance, as exemplified in the three types of case below.

Case 1 – Recently Deceased – up to One Week

If the alleged father has died only recently, and a viable sample can still be taken, then it is possible for the client to get permission to take samples in the form of fingernail cuttings or hair samples (complete with root) – preferable both. It is possible to extract DNA from each of these for establishing paternity. To be viable for a paternity test, samples must preferably be taken no more than a week after death.

Case 2 – The Samples Available

If the deceased has been buried you might be able to gather indirect samples such as DNA from a toothbrush, a cigarette butt or an unwashed cup – just as you see in the movies, though it is not as easy to extract DNA from these samples as the movies would have you believe. Nevertheless, it can be done, but the technique is not guaranteed success. The amount of DNA obtained might not be enough to test to complete the paternity test, although the science produces just as much proof.

Case 3 – Exhumation for the DNA Samples

Where justified, the body can be exhumed in order to obtain a sample of DNA from the deceased for a paternity test. Where the body has been buried for a sufficient period of time for no soft tissue to be remaining, it is recommended to take a two gram bone sample from the humerus or the femoral shaft, or alternatively, two teeth.

Obviously, such a sample is normally made available only where there are pressing reasons for paternity to be legally established. Due to the difficulty in obtaining the sample for a paternity test, it is highly recommended to seek the advice of a forensic pathologist or other expert because the costs of such analyses are high, and you need advice as to the probability of success from your sample.

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?

Legal Dna Paternity Testing | Court Admissible Dna Test | Legal Dna Test

Legal vs Home DNA Paternity Test

There may be a variety of different reasons for carrying out a Paternity DNA Testing
. At the most basic level a paternity DNA test is used to establish in a scientific manner whether an alleged father is indeed the biological father of the child. Through the comparison of the DNA profiles of the child with that of the alleged father, one is now able to establish with levels of probability that can be as high as 99.99% whether a biological relationship exists between an alleged father and the child, thus making DNA testing highly efficient and reliable.

Home DNA Paternity Test

Advances in DNA testing technology have now enabled paternity DNA tests to be carried out on samples of saliva, and for the consumer this has meant that DNA paternity tests can now be carried out in the comfort of one’s own home. In fact, whereas until recently, in order to perform a DNA paternity test, one had to visit a laboratory or a clinic, and have a blood sample taken, nowadays it is possible to carry out a paternity test using oral swabs that need to be simply rubbed along the inside of the mouth and the cheek. The samples are then left to dry and mailed back to the laboratory for analysis.

This kind of test is called a home paternity DNA test, and is very useful when one needs to have quick, reliable answers to paternity issues to satisfy one’s own need to know. If, however one needs to use these results for legal matters, such as legal recognition of a child as being one’s own, petitioning for child support and matters relating to immigration, one needs to order what is called a legal paternity test.

Legal DNA Paternity Test

In essence, a legal paternity test is a test in which the DNA samples are collected by an independent third party who becomes responsible for confirming the identities of the persons who are taking part in the test and assumes general responsibility for assuring that the DNA samples are not in any way tampered with. Therefore whilst in a home paternity DNA test, samples are usually collected by the participants themselves in their own home environment, a legal DNA paternity test usually necessitates a visit to a clinic or laboratory where the specialist will collect the samples.

Chain of Custody

This procedure is called maintaining the ‘chain of custody’, and is necessary in order to ensure that the test results are reliable, valid and that this fact can be witnessed by an independent third party. For this reason, results of a home DNA paternity test cannot be used in a court of law, because there is no way of proving without doubt that the persons participating in the test on paper are indeed the same persons who have provided the DNA samples. So, for example, a person who does not wish to provide child support may send a sample from another person instead of his own, using a home DNA paternity test. For this reason, the results of a home DNA paternity test can be used for ‘informational’ purposes only.

How the DNA test works

It is important to note that technically speaking, a home paternityDNA Testing for Immigration is identical to a legal paternity DNA test, and that the difference between the two tests lies exclusively in the method of collection of the samples. In both cases the DNA of the child is compared to that of the father, to check for correspondence in the genetic markers. If a large enough number of genetic markers are found to be in common, the alleged father is confirmed as being the genetic father of the child. Modern DNA paternity tests are extremely accurate and reliable, and can confirm paternity with levels of probability greater that 99.99%.

http://www.homednadirect.co.uk

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?

Can I Do a Paternity Test if the Alleged Father is Dead?

DNA testing is the most reliable way of confirming the biological relationship between two individuals. The most widely applied test is the DNA Paternity test whereby an alleged father is tested to confirm whether he is the biological father of a child or not. The test is relatively straightforward to do and involves rubbing oral swabs on the inside of the mouth and submitting it to the laboratory for analysis.

However, there are situations where the alleged father is not available for testing because he has passed away. Many think that in such circumstances there is no solution to this problem and the paternity can never be established conclusively.

In reality, there are a number of options possible for confirming the identity of the father. One of them is through DNA Relationship Testing, which is similar to DNA Paternity Testing but involves testing close members of the family to confirm various types of relationships. Tests can be performed between siblings, uncle/aunt and niece/nephew and grandparents. These tests are beyond the scope of this article but are worth exploring as an option where the father is not available for testing.

In case of death, we will explore three separate scenarios and what the client needs to do in these situations:

Case 1: If the person has just died and it is still possible to obtain biological material from the body (usually this period is not more than one week from time of death), it is recommended that the Client tries to obtain (where possible) hair samples with root as well as fingernail cuttings. A technically qualified laboratory should be able to extract DNA from these samples and use the DNA to perform the paternity comparison.

Case 2: In the event that the body has already been buried, samples may be obtained in an indirect manner – for example through a toothbrush, comb (might contain useful hairs), dentures or recently smoked cigarettes. These samples are all likely to contain DNA material that can be used to perform the test. However, success in obtaining DNA from such samples depend on a number of factors most importantly the condition of the sample and how much DNA it contains (e.g. a fully smoked cigarette vs a relatively unused one.)

Case 3: In cases where the body has been buried for a number of years, and the samples available are skeletal remains, it is recommend that a bone fragment from the shaft of the femur and/or the humerus weighing approximately 2 grams and/or two teeth per individual are obtained.

The above are some of the options available. The most important element is to be able to obtain a sample from the deceased person that may contain DNA. Of course the costs and difficulties in obtaining a sample in Case 3 (e.g. body will require exhumation) are relatively higher than simply obtaining some hair or fingernails from the body. However, each case has its own specifics and one is always advised to seek advice from an expert in this field (e.g. forensic pathologist) or the company that will be used to do the testing.

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?

Dna Paternity Testing: Submitting Non-standard Samples (part 1)

DNA Paternity testing is the most accurate way of confirming biological relationships between individuals. The standard way of collecting samples from the individuals to be tested is through the use of oral/buccal swabs. Buccal swabs are relatively easy to use and pain-free since the procedure involves simply rubbing the swab on the inside of the mouth to collect a saliva sample. In addition, they can be easily sent by post to the client when they order a test. Hence, they provide an excellent medium to obtain DNA from an individual.

However, occasions arise when it is not possible to obtain the sample directly from the individual, as for example in the case of a dead or missing person or samples collected from a crime scene. Therefore, in such cases, it is possible to utilise alternative samples (defined as non-standard samples), to obtain the DNA of a person for the purpose of DNA Testing.

The following list provides information about a number of non-standard samples that can be used to obtain DNA for testing purposes.

1. Direct Biological Samples

Hair

Any hair submitted must have roots or the follicle attached. Hair that is cut will not produce significant DNA. When submitting a hair sample, one must make sure not to touch the part with the follicle as much as possible to avoid contamination. The hair can be sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample. The lab will normally require a minimum of 6-10 hairs (or as many as possible) depending on what is available. The more the hairs available, the more the chance of obtaining a DNA profile from them.

Blood

Blood samples can take various forms including whole blood, blood spots on paper or other material (tissues, clothing, and furniture), dried blood etc. Blood used to be the most common form of submitting DNA samples for DNA paternity testing until the advent of buccal swabs. It now rarely requested as it is an invasive procedure as opposed to the non-invasive and painless nature of a buccal swab. Fresh blood sent in a normal tube will provide a more than enough sample for obtaining DNA. In cases where blood is sent as spots on some form of material, then the success of the extraction will depend on the state of the blood and whether it has been exposed to possible contamination such as the elements, human contamination and/or chemical agents.

Nails

It is also possible to extract DNA from Nails. Freshly trimmed nails work best and have the highest chance of success. Nails are normally recommended (apart from hair) in cases where the person has recently died. It is important to handle the nails with minimal direct contact as possible to avoid contamination. The nails can be sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample.

Sperm

In the case of liquid semen, it is recommended that the sample is absorbed through a clean cotton swab and air-dried for about one hour. In the case of dried semen stains, either send the material directly to the laboratory or else absorb the stain onto a clean cotton swab moistened with distilled water. Then air-dry for about an hour. The samples can then be sent in sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample.

Bone

Bone samples are one of the most difficult materials to obtain DNA from and not all DNA laboratories offer the service. The success rate will depend on the condition of the bones (e.g. how long the person has been dead, how his body has been preserved etc). When submitting bone samples it is normally recommend that fragments from the shaft of the femur or humerus are obtained weighing approximately 2 grams per individual. It is recommended that the laboratory processing the sample is contacted prior to taking the samples to discuss the case in advance. Collection of samples should be performed by a qualified person.

2. Everyday items that may contain DNA for testing purposes

Cigarette Butt

Cigarette butts can be an excellent source of DNA if the sample has not been contaminated. The more the cigarette has been smoked the more DNA is likely to be available. If the cigarette has been shared it is likely that a mixed DNA profile will be obtained, in which case more specialised analysis will be required to separate the profiles. The client should make sure that the sample is not handled from the end used to inhale the smoke. Ideally the client will submit 2-4 cigarette butts if available. The butt can be sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample.

Toothbrush

A toothbrush can be a good source of DNA if the sample has not been contaminated. The more the toothbrush has been used the more DNA is likely to be available. If the toothbrush has been shared it is possible that a mixed DNA profile will be obtained in which case more specialised analysis will be required. The client should make sure that the sample is not handled from the end of the bristles to avoid contamination. Also the brush should be air dried for about 30-60 minutes to ensure that it is properly dried before sending to the laboratory. The toothbrush can be sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample.

Envelope and Stamp

Licked envelopes and stamps can provide a source of DNA for paternity testing purposes. However, the success rate on this type of sample can very widely since it is not always possible to know if the stamp and envelope have been licked or not. In cases where there has been no contact with a person’s saliva then it is clearly not possible to obtain DNA. Because of this, the sample is normally classified as having a low rate of extraction success rate. When submitting the sample, it is important to ensure not to touch the seals and the back of the stamp to minimise possible contamination.

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum can be a good source of DNA if the sample has not been contaminated by exposure to contaminating agents. Sugar free gum is preferred to normal type of gum. It is important to try not to touch the gum with the fingers as this can lead to contamination. The gum can be sent in a normal plastic or paper envelope and marked clearly as a non-standard sample.

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?

The Amelogenin Sex Gene in Dna Paternity Testing

DNA testing is now the most widely used method for determining the biological relationships between individuals. The DNA paternity test is probably the most widely known of these tests and involves the testing of an alleged father, mother and the child in question. This test can also be conducted just between Alleged Father and a child without the Mothers sample.

When performing the Paternity Test, most DNA testing laboratories will test a minimum of 16 genetic markers for enhanced accuracy levels in excess of 99.99%. One of these genes tested is called the ‘Amelogenin’ gene and its use is to determine the sex of the sample that has been processed. Therefore in reality the statistical analysis is actually based on the matching of 15 of these 16 markers.

From a biological perspective, males have an XY chromosome and females have an XX chromosome. Therefore in your DNA test result you should see an XY for the alleged father and the child if he is male, and XX for the Mother and child if she is female. A DNA paternity test result from any serious service provider should report this gene together with the rest of the genetic markers analysed.

Functions and Uses of Testing the Amelogenin Gene

The testing of this gene may appear superfluous to a client at first instance, however it does serve a number of functions.

1. From a laboratory perspective, it acts as a primary quality control check and ensures that the correct samples have been processed. So for example, if the Alleged Father’s sample turns out to be female, then there is an element of quality control to identify the possible reasons. These could include problems such as the client putting the wrong samples in the wrong envelopes (e.g. putting the father’s sample in the mother’s envelope and vice versa). The testing of this gene can also act as a deterrent for submitting someone else’s samples (having said that, this applies only if the sample of someone of the opposite sex is supplied).

2. Gender identification through DNA testing has also got applications in the field of forensic DNA testing as it provides primary information regarding samples found at the scene of the crime during a criminal investigation. Through the test, it is possible to confirm whether biological remains found at the crime scene belong to males or females. It is also possible to differentiate this even in cases of mixed samples.

3. Gender identification is also applicable in the case of infidelity DNA testing. Analysis of the samples will show whether suspicious stains belong to a male or female individual. On the basis of this result, decisions for further testing can be based.

However, gender identification by amplification of the amelogenin gene can sometimes generate a result in which male samples were falsely identified as females. I have myself only seen few of these cases over the years. This occurrence is therefore very rare and occurs in less than 0.01% of cases in males and even less in females according to some studies. In such cases, it is suggested to perform the Y amplification of SRY gene or/and Y-STR markers to confirm the gender

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?