CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING, or CVS for short, is a test that can find certain problems with a fetus. CVS is performed late in the first trimester, most often between the 10th and 14th week.

CVS samples can be collected in one of two ways – either by inserting a long needle through the belly into the placenta (transabdominal CVS), which is similar to the amniocentesis procedure, or by putting a thin flexible tube (catheter) through the vagina and cervix directly into the placenta (transcervical CVS). The method that is used is dependent upon the position of the placenta and uterus. The type of method is determined the day of the procedure during the ultrasound examination. A thorough ultrasound examination is performed prior to and during the procedure.

The type of sample that is taken during a CVS procedure are the Chorionic Villus Cells. Chorionic Villi are similar to tiny fingers and grow inside the placenta. The genetic material inside these cells are the same as those found in the fetus’s cells.

The reasons for having a CVS performed typically to determine health of the fetus and parentage, if necessary.

RISKS: There are risks involved with the CVS procedure. They include infection of the uterus, cramping, spotting, leakage and miscarriage. While miscarriages may occur following CVS, many can be unrelated to the CVS procedure. Studies in the United States and in Europe now suggest that the risk for CVS-related miscarriage is between 1/100 – 1/200.

An AMNIOCENTESIS is a procedure which removes a small sample of amniotic fluid that surrounds a fetus. Amniotic fluid contains fetal cells and waste products which are discharged from the fetus. These cells can provide genetic, or DNA, information just like blood or a cheek swab. The Amniocentesis procedure is performed by an OBGYN by inserting a needle through the mother’s abdomen and into the uterus. Approximately 2 Tbsp of amniotic fluid is drawn out, which is then shipped via overnight mail on blue ice and tested in the laboratory. An Amniocentesis is performed, on average, between weeks 14 and 24 of the pregnancy.

The fluid that is obtained through the draw can be used to test the parentage of the child, or in determining the sex of the child, in addition to screening for over 100 types of disease inherited from the family. Examples of these diseases are Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell disease, and Huntington’s disease. While this procedure is routinely performed and can be safe, some risks are involved and the pregnancy can be endangered. This is why most physicians do not want to perform the procedure unless it is medically necessary. (A DNA Paternity test is not deemed medically necessary.)

RISKS: During an Amniocentesis there is the possibility of injury to the mother or the fetus from the needle. The most common injury occurs from puncturing the placenta, but it is also possible that an infection can occur due to the introduction of bacteria into the amniotic fluid, as well as cramping, bleeding and leakage of Amniotic fluid. This procedure also carries some risk of causing a miscarriage and when it is performed prior to 15 weeks. Studies have also shown an increased risk that the fetus will develop clubfoot from the procedure. Unfortunately, all pregnancies have a risk for miscarriage, whether a test was performed or not. In the second trimester (when an amniocentesis is typically performed), the normal risk for miscarriage is between 2-3%. The risk for miscarriage is increased slightly with amniocentesis and the risk of amniocentesis-related miscarriage is 1 in 250 to 1 in 300.

While both tests offer the possibility of grave risks, the benefits can be educational or rewarding. The knowledge about your baby and it’s health can be good news, if there were concerns, or will have a different outcome which will influence your preparation for a new family member. You might need to make special arrangements for birthing or for the child’s life and care.

If the mother is not planning of having one of the procedures, and her doctor still approves the procedure, she will most likely have to pay the OBGYN thousands of dollars for the procedure, on top of the DNA testing fee and shipping.

When prebirth Paternity DNA Testing is being considered by the mother, her OBGYN must be consulted. The physician will be the one to approve and perform the test and therefore, the mother must begin with a visit to her doctor. As stated above, in most cases, an OBGYN will not want to perform either of these procedures if it is just for a Paternity Test, which is not medically necessary, as the risks can be too great. Some doctors have even told their patients that this kind of test is not even possible. This is not true.

If the mother is already planning on having one of these procedures performed (which should be covered by insurance ) the doctors office will send the samples to a genetics lab for which ever test is needed. That lab can then grow more cells and send them along to a DNA Paternity Testing lab. Mother will usually be granted a prebirth procedure if she has an abnormal ultrasound, has a family history of certain birth defects, has previously had a child or pregnancy with a birth defect, or will be 35 or older at the time of delivery.

Sources:

Web MD – Amniocentesis

Web MD – Corionic Villus Sampling

Reproductive Genetics

After 5 years of knowing each other, hometown best friends, Brandy Hersh and Heidi Wickware discovered they’re full sisters. Only two years apart in age, these two women, from Springfield, MO, went to the same elementary and middle schools, they did not become best friends until they stated dating two boys who introduced them to each other.

Although they have uncommon features, among them they have different eye and hair color, they were interested in, and liked to do, the same things and were even able finish each other’s sentences. The two became fast friends and were closer than the other longtime friends they had each had for years. It was as if they had a special connection… and, in fact, they did!

As it turns out, Lisa Russell, their biological mother, got pregnant by her boyfriend with Brandy in 1980. The cuple wasn’t married and Lisa couldn’t afford to take care of the baby, so she gave Brandy up for adoption. Shortly afterward, she married that same man who first got her pregnant and had a second child, Heidi, who, had no idea that her mom had given birth to another child. Brandy, however, had always known that she was adopted. She figured that it really sunk in when she was six years old and her family adopted a second child.

Brandy’s adoption was “closed”, so the two mothers never met, or actually knew each other, and had no real information about each other beyond generalities. Eventually, Brandy met her biological mother through Heidi. (They are carbon copies of each other on the video interview!) After Lisa found out Brandy’s birthday and at which hospital she was born, she admitted that she had given up a child for adoption. Heidi went to Brandy and said, “My mom gave a baby up for adoption and she thinks it’s you!” Brandy informed her adoptive mother, Debbie Visio, who had some clues as to who the birth mother was at the time. Debbie gave Brandy the only clues that she had about Lisa and it was a match!

After everyone put two and two together, Brandy tried to open up her adoption records. As it turned out, it was going to take years get to through the bureaucracy so the two girls decided to get DNA Sibling Test through Chromosomal Laboratories in Phoenix, AZ. Not too long after they got the tests results back… a 99.999% match!

At the time of the interview the families had just received the results. Although it seemed like the news was still sinking in, the sisters were overjoyed, thrilled and full of happy emotions… Their Best Friend was in fact their sister!

Fathers still have important rights they need to be aware of: First, it is very important to have the child legally declared to be your child, by DNA Testing, birth certificates, or other methods. Second, all legally declared fathers are entitled to reasonable rights of visitation and contact with the child, including holidays, school events, report cards, and extra curricular activities and visits to doctors and dentists. Lastly, fathers have the right to have child support set a a reasonable amount based on their financial situation. All states have laws regarding child support, including how to calculate what your child support dollar amount should be. The laws in each state varies, so please look into your legal rights.

Any parent can lose custody if they are found unfit due to drug or alcohol dependency, neglect/abuse of the child, or if they fail to maintain a consistent home life for the child. Historically, one of the many arguments for granting a mother primary custody was their constant presence in the the home. This is no longer a valid reason because most women today now work outside of the home and are not the full time care givers.

Today, all parents have a basic right to be awarded full or partial custody. However, certain individuals will jeopardize that right should it be proven they are unfit to parent. Each case is unique and should be evaluated on an individual basis. In some states, this judgment is made by a jury and in other states by a Judge.

For more information on State Laws, see: Divorce Net

Fearing mercury contamination, many pregnant women avoid seafood altogether. That may actually harm newborns, according to some scientists. (John McConnico for The New York Times) What’s going on here? Currently, the Food and Drug Administration advises pregnant women to limit their weekly seafood consumption to no more than 12 ounces, or about two servings, per week. In addition they recommend staying away from fish that are meat eating (shark, tuna, etc.) as they tend to have higher levels of mercury.

The newest recommendation comes from the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, a nonprofit group that focuses on childhood health issues. That group’s scientific advisers say that pregnant women and nursing mothers should eat at least 12 ounces of fish per week. Although both recommendations acknowledge that pregnant women can safely eat about two servings a week, fears of mercury contamination in seafood have prompted many pregnant women to forgo fish entirely.

And here’s the issue that pregnant women face: an increasing number of studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in fish, are essential to brain development in fetuses and newborns. Earlier this year, a report in The Lancet medical journal, concluded that women who had eaten more than 12 ounces of fish per week during pregnancy produced better developed, more intelligent children. “Advice that limits seafood consumption might reduce the intake of nutrients necessary for optimum neurological development,” wrote scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“The real problem here are the women who are just eliminating fish from their diet,” said Judy Meehan, executive director of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. “Eating 12 ounces is a very safe, smart move, and nobody is disputing that.’’ While none of the research cited in the coalition’s recommendations has been funded by the fish industry, the coalition is using a grant from the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry group, to fund its educational campaign, according to Ms. Meehan.

For women who want the health benefits but worry about mercury and other toxins, the wisest course is to choose fish with the lowest levels of mercury. A recent report in The Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that the health benefits are likely greatest from such oily fish as salmon, herring and sardines — which are all generally low in mercury anyway. Among the fish to avoid are shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, all of which may contain high levels of mercury.

In order for it this to occur, “The infidelity would have had to occur within a 24 to 48 hour period,” says Dr. Joseph Finkelstein, a Manhattan OBGYN. “Once the egg is released and is fertilized, the system shuts down, so although it technically could happen, it would have to happen in two days or less.” The likelihood of having twins without any medical intervention such as the use of fertility drugs is about 1 in 100, Finkelstein says.

“Texas woman gives birth to twins – from different fathers”
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/05/18/2009-05-18_texas_woman.html#ixzz0G5OLyDcv&A

I don’t even know what to say – either we have become way to over protective or our society has become one of the most dangerous in the world and we aren’t careful enough.

“America’s Worst Mom”, Lenore Skenazy, has taken her parenting experiences, and those of other parents, collected on her web page, “Free-Range Kids” and turn them into a book by the same name.

For those of you who like me didn’t know about Lenore Skenazy, she is the mother of Izzy, who at the age of 9 was allowed by his parents to make is way home from a New York Bloomingdale’s. Izzy was given quarters, a subway map, transit tickets, and 20 dollars. He had to travel just a few miles, taking 1 subway for a total of 3 stops and 1 bus for a total of 6 stops. Skenazy who was very proud of her son wrote a news column about Izzy’s experience only to find herself and her family as the center of a media frenzy.

Becoming Dubbed the “America’s Worst Mom,” the Skenazy family has made no apologizes for their behavior but rather struck back with the web site and now a book teaching and helping other parents in their struggles to let children experience life freely.

Would you allow your 9-year old child to roam, parent-free, in the streets of New York? How do you feel about Mrs. Skenazy’s parenting? Let us know by posting a comment…

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/your-childhood/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-462091/How-children-lost-right-roam-generations.html

The blood test uses the mother’s plasma to extract Genetic information about their unborn baby.  The test can be used to determine if the unborn baby carries specific genetic abnormalities, such as muscular dystrophy, this test can be conducted shortly after conception.

Currently, testing for genetic abnormalities and gender cannot be carried out until at least 9 weeks and as late as 24 weeks.  The current methods of testing are either through a Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) or an Amniocentesis.

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) is a medical procedure conducted by an OBGYN that is typically performed between 9 – 13 weeks gestational age, which is often mistakenly referred to Chronic Villus (or Villi) Sampling. CVS is a vaginal procedure that removes a very small portion of the placenta.

Amniocentesis is a medical procedure conducted by an OBGYN that is typically performed between 14 – 24 weeks gestational age. The amniocentesis procedure involves insertion of a needle into the womb and drawing out approximately 10cc’s of amniotic fluid, which surrounds the unborn baby.

Professor Michael Chapman, head of women’s and children’s health at the University of NSW, said that this new testing method was the “holy grail” of research.  “Scientists have been chasing this for about 25 years,” he said. “The biggest advantage of this in a wanted pregnancy is there is no risk of miscarriage during testing.”

The research team from the University Medical Center, in The Netherlands, used the test on 200 women. Only in 10 cases could the gender not be determined.  The procedure works by taking a sample from the mother’s blood plasma and extracting fetal DNA, which circulates in the mother’s blood. Looking for a specific gene sequence, doctors can then determine if the baby is a boy or a girl and is a carrier of specific disorders.  In most cases, the test will be performed on a seven-week-old fetus.

But Australian obstetricians warn the medical breakthrough is unlikely to be used in Australia because it could be used for gender selection and due to “ethical and moral” dilemmas.

The test did not address the fact that fetal DNA that is found in a mother’s blood can be from previous pregnancies even years later.  The research have not address how to determine if the DNA is from the current fetus.  While their are some DNA testing companies that have offered to use “simple” blood test to determine paternity for several years.  These test can often be unreliable.   While this new test promise great answer at no risk there are still some very big questions that haven’t been answered.

News.com.au

But what exactly is DNA? Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a sort of blueprint for every cell in your body.  Your genes are made from DNA. You get half from your mother, and half from your father. The only two people that can have identical DNA are identical twins. In every other case, DNA is a so-called genetic fingerprint. Because it is unique, police and prosecutors look to DNA samples to help catch and convict criminals. In the legal system, DNA samples must be handled carefully like all evidence.

People can take their own DNA tests in the privacy of their homes. A blood sample is not necessary anymore. All that is needed is a few cells from the lining of the cheek. A scraping of the lining taken with a swab is enough to do DNA testing and is most commonly used to determine paternity.

DNA test kits can be ordered online, or there are some that can be bought at a drugstore. The cost for a simple paternity test runs about $225. You take your own sample, and send it to the lab. If you are trying to establish paternity, you also need a swab of the possible father’s cheek, and of the child’s cheek. Most labs that do this testing say that they can tell you with greater than 99% accuracy if the person sampled is the child’s father, and 100% if he is not.

There are also ways to get the possible father’s DNA surreptitiously. Sometimes labs can run the test from a piece of chewed gum, finger or toe nail clippings or a hair. Each lab is different, and less-than-perfect samples cost hundreds of dollars more to test.

What else can you do at home? You can prove other familial relationships if there is some question. You can also have your DNA tested to look into your ancestry. The National Geographic Society is even collecting DNA samples from all over the world to create a sort of genetic world map. You can participate by conducting an at-home DNA test, which costs about $100.

Some other types of home DNA testing are probably best avoided. One company says it can tell you as early as 7 to 8 weeks into a pregnancy what the sex of the unborn baby will be. This is allegedly possible because some of the baby’s blood mixes in with the mother’s blood. You take a sample of the mother’s blood at home. If the lab finds a Y chromosome in any of the sample, the baby will be a boy, because only males have a Y chromosome. If no Y chromosome is found, the baby will be a girl. This whole area of DNA testing is not proven, and there are lawsuits at the current time against companies that reported the unborn child’s sex incorrectly. There are also ethical issues even if this test were to be perfect.

Another category of DNA testing exists, genetic testing for markers of certain medical conditions. Usually, if this kind of test is necessary, your doctor will order it, and it will be done in a lab that is certified to give accurate results. More importantly, your doctor can advise you what the test means. If you have a certain gene, you have an increased probability of developing a certain disease. It doesn’t mean you will get the disease, and a negative test does not mean you won’t.

You can do these tests at home. But you will not have anyone to explain what the results really mean. Still, people do these tests, sometimes for privacy, or in order to prevent health insurance companies from knowing the results and perhaps raising their rates. But to test for the right conditions and actually understand what the results mean, you should see your doctor, or talk to an AABB certified Lab, or in some cases, a geneticist.

As of today, at-home DNA testing is best used to determine paternity or other familial relationships when there is no legal requirement, or to get information about your ancestry.

El Divorcio… ¿final o inicio?

Un factor de vital importancia en la formación y el sano desarrollo del ser humano, es sin lugar a dudas la familia; la cual se fundamenta en el matrimonio, sin embargo, debido a la interacción de múltiples factores cada vez cuesta más mantener un matrimonio estable y duradero, hoy en día mucho de ellos terminan en divorcio.

Mientras para algunos, no es fácil reconocer su “fracaso” y por ello insisten casi irracionalmente en una relación destructiva y frustrante; en el caso de las mujeres en particular el sentirse incapaz de educar y asistir a sus hijos sola es un factor determinante para rechazar la posibilidad de divorcio; el soportar “todo” por sus hijos para que crezcan con un padre al lado. Son algunos de los paradigmas que encadenan en una relación que progresivamente va consumiendo a los involucrados. Otros por el contrario, los más jóvenes usan el matrimonio para resolver un problema o para contrarrestar sus desasosiegos y se casan sin la seguridad de que su pareja va a ser la definitiva, convencidos que si las cosas no marchan bien, la primera puerta de escape es el divorcio.

Lo cierto es, que en algunas circunstancias el divorcio puede ser una medida necesaria, cuando la relación de pareja se ha tornado demasiado conflictiva y hasta violenta, teniendo graves repercusiones sobre los hijos, y habiéndose agotado todos los recursos por solucionar la situación.

No obstante en algunos casos, es la solución a la problemática de pareja, el divorcio implica pérdida de los sueños, vivencias, sentimientos, proyectos y metas compartidas que dieron inicio a la relación; como toda pérdida trae consigo bajo autoestima y sentimientos intensos como miedo, culpabilidad, tristeza, ira, angustia, dolor… pero a su vez también oportunidades de crecimiento, aunque cueste comprenderlo en ese momento.

El dolor que se produce con la disolución de la pareja es inevitable, aún en la persona que desea el divorcio. Si la separación se realiza pacíficamente y basada en una decisión madura, resulta ser menos dolorosa y es posible que con el tiempo después de haber superado su duelo, puedan rehacer sus vidas sin que el pasado intervenga.

Cada pareja tiene diferentes motivos para optar por vivir separados; la forma como se dé este proceso de separación puede ser rápido o, por el contrario, muy lento, precedido de una larga etapa de discusiones violentas o silencios penosos. Sea cual fuere la forma como se realice el divorcio, dentro de él existe otra situación a la que muchas veces no se le da la importancia suficiente y que requiere de un adecuado manejo para sobrellevarla, y es la vivencia que los hijos están teniendo de la separación.

Es normal y frecuente que los hijos se pregunten ¿Tengo yo la culpa? ¿Se dejaron de querer por mí? ¿Puedo ayudar en algo? ¿Qué puedo hacer para que vuelvan a vivir juntos, a quererse? Si me quiere ¿Porqué se ha ido? ¿Qué será de mí? ¿Cómo va a cambiar ahora mi vida? Cuando ocurre un divorcio, los hijos experimentan su propio duelo, por la pérdida de la vida familiar con los padres juntos y por todo lo que esto implica. Los hijos pueden experimentar sentimientos de culpa por la idea de que ellos pudieron ser los responsables de la separación de sus padres, en muchos casos percepción justificada debido a que uno o quizá ambos padres, para evadir responsabilidad, señalan a sus hijos “con tu comportamiento hiciste que tu papá o mamá se fuera”. También pueden sentir cólera o rechazo ante sus padres por lo que injustamente están viviendo, así como impotencia por no poder hacer nada para evitarlo y, por supuesto tristeza ante todo lo que están presenciando. Otros pueden mostrar rebeldía frente a la autoridad, fallas de diferente magnitud en la escuela, o pueden encerrarse en sí mismos como parte de un mecanismo de defensa contra el daño que les produce la separación. No todos reaccionan de la misma manera, depende fundamentalmente de sus características personales y de cómo estén manejando la situación de separación los padres.

Es necesario comprender que con el divorcio los esposos dejan de serlo; viven en distintas casas, pueden tener relaciones afectivas con otros adultos; pero siguen siendo los padres de los hijos que tuvieron juntos. Ellos se convierten en exesposo, exesposa, pero el divorcio no los convierten en “expadres”.

Los estudios demuestran, que es preferible para el equilibrio emocional y el sano desarrollo de los hijos, unos padres separados pero felices a unos padres que viven juntos pero peleando, sin llevar ninguna relación de amor. Con el tiempo ellos llegarán a entenderlo, si es manejado asertivamente, incluso podrán asumirlo como una experiencia más de su vida que los hará crecer como personas. Sin embargo, para que esto suceda, es fundamental considerar algunas recomendaciones básicas: No utilizar a los hijos como elementos de venganza, manipularlos, ignorarlos como personas, reduciéndolos a la calidad de objetos; mostrar respeto hacia la figura de su expareja; dialogar, manteniendo una actitud serena, explicar sinceramente (sin detalles dolorosos) lo que está sucediendo, el porque, sin culpar a nadie, mucho menos a los hijos porque puede afectarlo severamente; estimular a que pregunte lo que desee y contestarle con franqueza, tomando en cuenta su edad, capacidad de comprensión y sus características personales. Además debe permitirle expresar sus sentimientos ante el divorcio cuando así lo desee y comprenderlo, exprésele sus sentimientos para que sepa lo que sus padres están sintiendo y manifestarle que toda esta situación por más dolorosa que sea es por el bienestar de todos; fortalezca la relación con sus hijos, buscando momentos para compartir y no limitar la relación al aspecto material.

No deseo dar un recetario, porque no existen recetas mágicas que solucionan todos los problemas; cada caso es único así como la forma de resolverlo, pero sí algunas sugerencias con las cuales es posible superar esta difícil situación junto a sus hijos.

Es importante que las personas involucradas en el divorcio sepan que, a pesar de lo difícil del proceso, este es transitorio y, tengan la certeza de que las cosas van a mejorar, van a poder superarlo y reconstruir sus vidas, tanto ellos como sus hijos. Si se le trasmite esto a los hijos aliviará muchas de las angustias y temores que enfrentan en este período.

El divorcio es un final de interminables discusiones, de violencia, incomprensión, frialdad, desamor,… y un inicio a la reconstrucción de nuevas condiciones de vida, a una nueva organización y dinámica familiar, renovadas relaciones consigo mismo y con los demás, esperanza hacia el futuro. Es posible que experimenten un crecimiento personal, producto de este proceso.

Con el divorcio los excónyuges, no tienen porque verse como enemigos; por la salud mental y psicológica propia y de sus hijos deben tratar de retomar el grado de amistad que tuvieron antes o durante el matrimonio, de respetar al otro por ser padre o madre de sus hijos y educar juntos con amor y responsabilidad a los mismos. Esto demostrará la madurez con la cual se ha asumido la separación.

Indudablemente cambia la vida de cada uno de los miembros de la familia, de cómo cambie dependerá la actitud con que se asuma. Si cada uno en la familia se esfuerza para comprender, para madurar y para probar nuevas formas de quererse, de convivir, de ser felices, aunque no vivan juntos. Es posible construir nuevas relaciones familiares menos típicas, pero perfectamente funcionales para el desarrollo afectivo de cada miembro de la familia.

Preparing For the DNA Test and Collecting Samples
Normally a DNA testing kit is sent to the person who ordered the test by the DNA Testing Company. The test begins with samples being collected from everyone who will be included in the test. In most cases, that will mean the mother, the father (alleged) and the child (or children) concerned. Samples are taken with oral swabs.  These swabs collect cheek cells which are then placed in envelopes where they dry and then are passed on for testing. In order to prepare the sample, it is first important to make sure that the cotton of the swab never touches any other surface including your hands, and that you have a number of swabs for each person taking the test to ensure reliability in the end results. Press the swab into the inside of the cheek and behind the lips, as well as the tongue area in order to get as good as possible a sample from the mouth. Place the used swab in the envelope provided for each person, the swab should be carefully sealed off before the mailing process.

Testing the Samples
After all the samples have been collected and labelled accordingly, they should be sent off to the laboratory for the DNA testing analysis. At this stage, the samples will be individually examined and DNA will be extracted from within the cells present in the sample. The same will be done for the other  parties participating in the test and the results of the DNA profiles will be compared.

The person analysing your results will be looking for a 50/50 split between your alleles, contained within the DNA.  50 percent come from your mother and 50 percent from your father. As you can only inherit genes already carried by one or both parents, no alleles can be present in the child’s DNA that are not also present in that of either parent. Naturally, if there are places where there is no match, it shows that there is not a genetic link between those taking the DNA test. Further to that, the results are processed through the appropriate systems and a conclusion is reached, having covered 16 of the locus which are used as the template by which samples are matched.

Receiving the DNA Test Results

Once the DNA test is completed, the result will be sent to the participants via email, letter, fax or as otherwise agreed. The DNA test report should show the individual profile of each person that submitted a sample for the paternity test. Also the result should show the percentage probability of the stated relationship, for example in a DNA paternity test this is normally 99.9% or better.

There’s no doubt about it – DNA testing is here to stay. Whilst most people are not very knowledgeable on how DNA paternity testing works, it is probably a good idea to gain some level of understanding given the way in which DNA testing is likely to continue to affect our lives over the coming decades. With growing calls for more extensive DNA databases and records for crime prevention, DNA testing and analysis looks set to remain at the forefront of the civil liberties/state interests debate.