Who's the Real Daddy, a guest article by Teoddy Baldomaro, explores some options for confirming fatherhood.
“No, Luke. I AM your Father!”
That was one of the most memorable
lines in the movie “Star Wars”. But did Darth Vader really know what it
means to be the biological father of Luke Skywalker?
Or the better
question is, “Was he really prepared to face the consequences of such a
claim?”
Why a Child Should Know His or Her Roots
It
is very important for anyone, young or old, to know who his/her real
father is. Especially for a child, one’s rights cannot be fully
protected without a legitimate father. Thus, it is important to know
that only after determining who the father is in the court of law will a
child be eligible for support and other benefits.
And of
course, without the father, who would go with your child to her
father-daughter dance or to that worthwhile father-and-son fishing trip?
Things You Can Do to Know
There
are some situations when you’re not sure who the real father of your
child is. That could pose a problem when determining who should be
playing the role of “dad” in your child’s life.
For such cases,
there are simple tests you can do yourself (or with the help of others)
to try to find out which one is the real daddy. Be aware, though, that
not all of these are 100% accurate. They may not be enough of an
evidence to pinpoint the exact biological father, but they are a good
start and can save you some stress later on.
• The blood type
Depending on the blood type of two
people (the father and mother, mother and child, or father and child),
it is possible to determine which blood types the third one should have.
Although this may give more than one possible blood type, it can narrow
down your list.
• Multi-trait paternity calculator
This is a test that includes the blood type, eye color and type of ear lobes to find out the legitimacy of parenthood.
• The time of conception
Of
course, you can always try and figure out who the real father is by
computation through the child’s birth date. Thus, it is important to
keep track of your activities and who you do them with.
• Other behavioral patterns
The
simplest test is to do some observations between the child and the
suspected father/s. Try to find if there are certain habits between the
“fathers” and the child.
…and may the Force be with you
If
all else fails, you can stop trying your best and let science do its
thing. Through the advancement of science and technology, it is now
possible to avail DNA testing in order to check for biological
relations.
You can even acquire a DNA Home Kit by contacting a
service provider via phone or the Internet. This kit lets you get DNA
samples by yourself at home (with proper instructions and complete
materials), and then send them back to the company for analysis. All you
have to do is wait for the results.
Depending on the type of DNA
test conducted and the manner of execution, test results can even hold
their own ground in the court of law.