DNA Fingerprinting

Paternity Test

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Sample size. The possibility of having inaccurate test results increases if a very small sample of DNA is available for testing. The chance that the DNA will be mixed up with some other DNA is also higher with a smaller sample.
• Having had a blood transfusion within the past 3 months.
• Decay of the tissue sample.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: April 20, 2009
Medical Review:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics
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