Paternity Tests Using Blood Types
Blood typing was first used to test paternity in the 1920s. Today, blood typing is rarely used in paternity tests because it is substantially less accurate than DNA testing.
Description
All humans have one of four blood types: A, B, AB or O. Proteins known as ABO antigens determine blood type.
Genes
ABO antigens are inherited from both parents. If the blood type of each parent is known, it is possible to predict which blood types a child may have.
Paternity Tests
A potential father can be excluded from paternity if a blood-type test determines that the child has an ABO antigen not present in either the mother or the putative father.
Limitations
Blood Typing can only exclude a possible father, not prove paternity. A blood-type test will exclude only 30 percent of the population from possible paternity. Also, in rare cases, mutations in DNA can produce children with unexpected blood types.
Considerations
DNA paternity testing is preferred over blood typing because it is more than 99 percent accurate in proving paternity.
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