Seeing that line appear on an at-home pregnancy test is an emotional experience for every woman. Her reaction can vary from joy to sadness and every other emotion in between. With her hormones kicking into high gear, every woman who’s been there knows she may even be experiencing all of these emotions at the same time! If a woman isn’t sure who the father is, she is no doubt stressed too. Fortunately, non-invasive prenatal paternity tests can help reduce that stress for her as well as for the possible father. Here’s why that’s important.

Recent Study Shows Effects of Long-Term Stress during Pregnancy

A University of Zurich study published in May, 2017, concludes that if a mother is stressed over a long period of time during her pregnancy, she puts her baby at risk for developing mental or physical illnesses later in life such as hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or even cardiovascular disease.

 The body adapts to changes in the environment very effectively. When stressed, the body releases targeted stress-fighting hormones to help it deal. In a pregnant woman, these hormones naturally make their way into the amniotic fluid and then into the baby. Small amounts of these hormones can be beneficial to the fetus in that it can improve the chances of surviving a premature birth. The same Swiss study also emphasizes that short-term stress does not appear to have undesirable consequences. If the level of stress hormones released is high and prolonged, however, the effects are negative.

How Prenatal Paternity Tests Can Help

If a woman doesn’t know who the father of her baby is, the stress this causes can be enormous and even debilitating. Waiting months to get an answer to that question can be an agonizing proposition. Fortunately, today’s DNA technology makes it possible to do a paternity test while pregnant, and knowledge gained from non-invasive prenatal paternity tests may be the key to reducing long-term stress levels for many women and help them enjoy a more peaceful pregnancy.

Prenatal Paternity Tests from DDC

DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) is one of the largest, well-respected labs in the world, and we’ve processed millions of samples for postnatal paternity testing. We are also the most trusted provider of prenatal paternity tests. In fact, when performed with chain-of-custody procedures, ours is the first and only test accredited by the independent AABB accrediting organization. This means only DDC maintains strict standards of accountability for prenatal DNA paternity testing, including analysis, PhD review, and documentation.

Requirements for Prenatal Paternity Tests

1. The woman must be seven-weeks pregnant (or more)
2. She must be carrying only one fetus
3. The possible father must also be available to test

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW A PRENATAL PATERNITY TEST WORKS >

Final Thoughts

Scientists agree that prolonged stress during pregnancy can be harmful to the fetus. If a woman has nagging questions about paternity, then it makes sense to look into prenatal paternity tests instead of waiting till after the baby’s born. She should just make sure to choose a  highly-accredited and respected paternity testing lab with years of experience and the best reputation in the industry.

Call us at 800-929-0847: We’re here to help.

Do you have questions or comments about prenatal paternity tests? Share in the comments and we’ll answer.