Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 8/14/2008

Question
Hello, I would like to find out if this is possible.

The baby is out of the country now.  However, the mother has done amniocentesis when she was pregnant.  The father wants to find out if the baby is his or not.  However, I only have the amnio result (NOT with the fresh amnio fluid).  Can the amnio result be used to determine the parentage?  Thanks!

Answer
Dear SingleMom,

Whether the data from the amniocentesis can be used to establish parentage or not depends on what data were collected.  Generally, this procedure is used only to check for chromosomal abnormalities.  Once the chromosomes have been fixed on a slide, I'm sure it would be very difficult--if not impossible--to retrieve the DNA for other procedures such as DNA sequencing.

I believe you would need fresh tissue (e.g., blood) samples from both the baby and the father to establish parentage.  However, there may be new techniques of which I am not aware that might make use of your amnio results, depending on what was reported.  

The best person to consult would be the physicians who performed the amniocentesis, as they will be able to tell you exactly what is included in the amniocentesis report, and they may also be able to refer you to an expert in genetic testing who could tell you whether these data might be helpful in your quest.

I hope this helps.

Dana