The Link between Blood Transfusion, Transplants, and Paternity DNA Test

Are you looking for a paternity test? If yes, there are some important things you need to keep in mind about transfusion and paternity DNA tests.

Paternity DNA and blood transfusions

Will receiving a standard blood transfusion 2 weeks before sample collection alter the test results? No, this will not affect your paternity test results. According to medical research, although the donor’s DNA stays in the body of the receivers for several days, it is unlikely to alter genetic tests.

If a pregnant woman has recently had a blood transfusion and wants to have a non-invasive prenatal paternity test, then it’s important to keep in mind the need to submit a small sample of blood for the test. When planning the test, always inform the lab in advance about your treatment. Depending on when you received the blood, you might have to wait a bit longer before testing to be safe.

Paternity and stem cell/ bone marrow transplant

Stem-cell and bone-marrow transplants both aim to help people with the disease build their immune systems. It helps them fight disease more. Doctors extract the stem cells from the donor’s blood or, in rare instances, from the donor’s bone marrow. In both processes, the patient receives the donor’s white blood cells, as does the donor’s DNA. Such effects, unlike those with a blood transfusion, are long-lasting.

Due to a variety of factors, a bone-marrow or stem-cell transplant often does not lead to two genetic profiles on a swab. But it is crucial to understand that there is a possibility of getting a mixture of DNA. So if this is the case, it is not possible to perform a DNA test on samples collected via cheek swabs.