How soon in a pregnancy can you take a paternity test?

Answer 1

You can do the paternity test between ten and thirteen weeks, via chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or by amniocentesis between 14 and 20 weeks.

CVS is a diagnostic procedure which involves removing some chorionic villi cells from the placenta, at the point where it attaches to the uterine wall. This is done through a long thin needle. It is a similar procedure to a amniocentesis, where amniotic fluid is drawn into a long thin needle placed in the amniotic sac.

The CVS procedure collects larger samples and provides faster results than amniocentesis. Results may be received between one to seven days, but many doctors won't do this test for the purpose of paternity due to the risk of miscarriage. CVS the risk is 1 in 100, amnio the risk is 1 in 200 to 1 in 400. Miscarriages can occur because of infection in the uterus, the water breaks or labor is induced prematurely.

A paternity test can be done soon after birth, with no fear of complications to the baby - the results may take two weeks to four months and costs $80 to several hundred dollars.