Many parents have the question of whether paternity can be determined without the mother or not. But do you know how to determine paternity without a DNA test?
The answer is somewhere in the middle. In some cases, it might work. In others, not so much. But there are some means through which a parent can establish the paternity of a child.
DATE OR CONCEPTION: When was the child conceived?
The internet has several tools that can assist you in finding out when the child was conceived. They can help you get an estimate of it, and determine whether the alleged father may be the bio father or not. But this does not mean the answer provided is accurate.
EYE COLOR TEST: Inherited Trait Theory
This is based upon the inherited trait theory. Meaning, if the parent uses an eye-color test and the theory can be used to estimate the paternity. It is based on genes and how some physical traits (like eye color) have been inherited from the bio parents.
But this does not mean it is accurate either. Genes interact differently in some cases. For example, the mother and the father may have brown eyes, but the child has green eyes. This can be because there was a dormant gene in the bloodline. Which was passed down to either parent.
BLOOD TYPE TEST: Determining the blood type to estimate parentage
The most accurate after DNA testing, the Blood type test can determine paternity. There are several tests available to people if they wish to check their parentage. In the test, you enter your blood type of the mother, the alleged father, and the child.
This test was used before the discovery of DNA testing. But it does not narrow the who the potential father could be. It can simply confirm that the alleged father may not be the child’s father.
There are certain nooks of this test as well. Blood of the parents’ parents might have an impact on the next-gen baby. (Or as the situation is.) In short, you cannot determine who the father is.
The test utilizes the ABO blood typing system. In this, you are one of the blood types in A, B, AB, or O. The genes since are inherited, that way you can eliminate the father based on the child’s blood type.
Taking an example, A mother with type B blood can’t have a baby with type AB blood if the father’s blood type is O. The bio father would have the gene for the A-type antigen.
GENETIC BEHAVIOUR: Inherited traits
The data passed from the parent to the child can give the parent an idea of who the bio father might be. There is an ongoing debate about nature vs. nurture. While both have their own impacts, one cannot deny the impact of nature as well. The natural traits may help the parent determine the paternity.
For example, Both the father and the child share the same trait of maintaining their work and keeping it neat.
But again, this does not determine paternity. As the child could be absent-minded and the father might be not. It could mean that the child’s nurturing environment has had an impact on them.
➡LEARN MORE: How long does a Father have to Establish a Paternity?
DNA Test
The most accurate test to determine paternity is the DNA test. It can confirm if the alleged father is the bio father or not. This is the only way to get a clear result of paternity.
If the mother is not willing to take a DNA test, you can approach the court. And the court will order a DNA test to be undertaken by the mother, the alleged father, and the child.
DNA test without involving the mother and the court
A home paternity test can be taken without the mother’s DNA. The test has swabs for the mother, the father, and the child. But you might not need the mother’s DNA.
However, it is suggested that you do get the mother involved. Sometimes, the mother may not be reachable for the paternity test. Still, you can undertake the test and get the results with the mother’s DNA.
The participation, while increasing the probability of paternity, it does provide conclusive results. The child takes DNA from both the mother and the father. The child’s DNA can be compared with the father’s DNA in case the mother is absent. These tests are called ‘A motherless Test’ or the ‘Single Parent-Child’ DNA test.
It does not have any special requirements. As it is done as it is in case the mother is present. The only difference is, the child if is above 18 does not require the consent of both parents to undertake a paternity test.