2010 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2010. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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Can a paternity test be performed before the baby is born?
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Patricia Devers, M.S.:
I am a genetic counselor specializing in reproductive genetics. I see patients in the preconceptional and prenatal period.
Yes, you can get DNA from the baby with a procedure called chorionic villus sampling, where we take a sample of cells from the placenta (since the placenta comes from the same egg and sperm cell that form the fetus, the DNA should be the same as the fetus) or amniocentesis, where we take a sample of fluid from around the baby that has some of the baby's cells in it. You can then compare the DNA from the baby to the DNA of the mother and potential father to determine paternity. There is a risk of causing a miscarriage in the pregnancy by having a CVS or amniocentesis done during pregnancy, so some women chose to wait until after the baby is born. |
| Westview High School in CA (11th grade student) |
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