A DNA paternity test can produce one of two results: inclusion or exclusion. An inclusion means the alleged father is the biological father of the child.
When the DNA profile of the child is compared with that of the alleged father, each of the matching DNA markers is given a paternity index. The paternity index is a measure of how strongly the matching marker indicates paternity based on the alleged father’s race population. Once the paternity index is calculated for each matching DNA marker, all the indexes are multiplied to generate a combined paternity index. This is then translated into a statistical calculation known as probability of paternity.
A probability of paternity of 99.99% or higher is an inclusion result, meaning the tested man is the biological father of the tested child. Our laboratory regularly generates inclusion probabilities of 99.999% and higher.
An exclusion, the other possible result of a paternity test, implies that the alleged father is not the biological father of the child. A 0% probability of paternity is an exclusion.
