Did you know that nearly five percent of men are unknowingly raising another man’s child?
This is a much more common issue than people realize, and luckily testing can help you find answers. If you have suspicions about being the true parent, you deserve to know if you are, especially if you’re expected to pay child support.
Keep reading below to discover the signs you’re not the biological father!
Genetic Conditions Appear
One of the biggest signs you’re not the biological father is if a genetic condition takes you by surprise.
Down syndrome, Hunter syndrome, and other conditions are passed down through genetics. If you and your partner don’t have a history of a condition your child has, it could be a red flag. Since conditions can impact the child’s quality of life, it’s important to find the parent and understand where the issue is coming from.
Some conditions don’t appear until children grow up or enter their teen years. If you find out you’re not the father until later in life, therapy might help the family adapt to the news.
The Timeline Doesn’t Make Sense
Math plays a significant role in human development, so you can typically find answers when you break it down.
Most women deliver their children about 40 weeks after conception. If you weren’t with your partner during this period, it’s reasonable to be questioning paternity. Estimating the date of conception doesn’t take long, and some online resources will do the math for you.
Your Partner Is Avoiding Paternity Testing
If you want a definite answer on whether or not a child is yours, paternity testing is recommended.
This method can be free if you use your resources, but you’ll have to organize prenatal paternity DNA testing. Medical and legal settings can swab your cheek or do blood work to confirm if you are the parent. Prenatal testing is done while the mother is still pregnant, but many people do this after they’re born.
If you’ve asked your partner to cooperate with testing and they keep avoiding it, you may not be the biological parent. In some cases, you may need to take the issue to court to verify whether or not you have a legal obligation.
The Child Doesn’t Look Like You
Children don’t always look like a split image of the mother and father, but there are ways to use this test to find answers.
Hair color and skin tone differences can signify paternity confusion, but it’s better to look at the eyes. The parents pass down their eye color (or from a close relative). This means that if your child has blue eyes, but no one else does, they may have a different father.
Do You Know the Signs You’re Not the Biological Father?
If you see any of these signs you’re not the biological father, you should treat them like a red flag.
Requesting a paternity test is recommended, but there are other tips to use while you wait. Consider the date of conception, appearance, and your partner’s attitude about the issue and all will become clear.
Take a look at our site for more information about genetic tests and parenting!