Surprise! 1-in-25 Dads Not the Real Father

[MaryJane]

About 4 percent of men may unknowingly be raising a child that really belongs to the mailman or some other guy, researchers speculate in a new study.

Here's the real news: With modern methods, the truth will become known more frequently.

Researchers pawed through a host of scientific articles published around the world from 1950 through last year. The perceived "paternal discrepancy rate," as it is called, ranges from less than 1 percent to as high as 30 percent in the various studies. Most researchers believe the rate is less than 10 percent.

The author's settled on four percent -- one in 25 families -- in a new article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The actual figure will likely become clearer as more people undergo DNA profiling and genetic testing, the researchers say. In the United States, rates of paternity testing alone more than doubled to 310,490 between 1991 and 2001, they note.

But there are other tests on the rise that could have the unintended effect of revealing a child to belong to another man.

DNA testing is becoming more common in courts, health care systems and in cases of organ transplants. Perhaps the most widespread use on the horizon is to diagnose susceptibility to hereditary diseases. Are you likely to get Alzheimer's or die from a heart attack or cancer? Medicine promises to one day let you know, should you want to.

Eventually, the researchers argue, there will be a greater need for support services and guidance on how to disclose paternal discrepancy.

"In a society where services and life decisions are increasingly influenced by genetics, our approach to [paternal discrepancy] cannot be simply to ignore this difficult issue," the authors write.

From LiveScience

[Algernon]

shhhhhhh! Don't let this get out!! Don't need my husband getting suspicious, I've kept the secret long enough! JK, of course.

[suede]

So that means 1 in 25 women are .... well, you get the rest.

[LynnieD]

Well, that answers the age old question "Where DOES Maury Povich get all his who's the daddy guests?" Mystery solved!

[ralphycnan]

My husbands cousin is raising a boy that is not his but he doesn't know it. His wife revealed it once when she was drunk. Everyone knows but he doesn't.

[suede]

Originally Posted by ralphycnan

My husbands cousin is raising a boy that is not his but he doesn't know it. His wife revealed it once when she was drunk. Everyone knows but he doesn't.

OH that's horrible.

I could never forgive that.

[LynnieD]

^^^Yea that's kind of wrong...^^^^

I knew someone in the same kind of situation, and the truth was found out only when there was a medical emergency....he was like WTF?

[haggard]

Everyone in my dads family thinks that I'm not my dads kid...I think this will just fuel the fire.

I'll let you all know how my paternity test goes :p

[pacific breeze]

My brother, sister and I have often thought my sister wasn't my father's child but we've never had the guts to ask our mother, even though our father is dead. My dad was away a lot before my sister was born and she looks nothing like anyone on my dad's side of the family although she does resemble our mother slightly. Her colouring, freckles, green eyes and auburn hair really stand out in a family of blue-eyed blondes on one side and dark-haired Welsh types on the other. No one but her has freckles.

Just don't quite know how to broach the subject.

[BlueEyesCryin]

Breeze - maybe you don't broach the subject. The only difference it will make is a bad one. If you actually ask and she's your full sister, you'll feel bad for doubting your mother. If you ask and find out she's not your full sister, it could change the relationship you have with her.

Coming from a family of halfs and steps, what you don't know can just make life less complicated.

Unless there's alot of money involved!

[pacific breeze]

I wouldn't broach the subject, that would be up to my sister. It wouldn't change my relationship with her because I already think it's true and so does she, but knowing might make my sis feel a little better!

My mother's current husband has run through all the money so that's not an issue, alas.

[IceQueen]

Originally Posted by MaryJane

About 4 percent of men may unknowingly be raising a child that really belongs to the mailman or some other guy, researchers speculate in a new study.

Here's the real news: With modern methods, the truth will become known more frequently.

Researchers pawed through a host of scientific articles published around the world from 1950 through last year. The perceived "paternal discrepancy rate," as it is called, ranges from less than 1 percent to as high as 30 percent in the various studies. Most researchers believe the rate is less than 10 percent.

The author's settled on four percent -- one in 25 families -- in a new article in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The actual figure will likely become clearer as more people undergo DNA profiling and genetic testing, the researchers say. In the United States, rates of paternity testing alone more than doubled to 310,490 between 1991 and 2001, they note.

But there are other tests on the rise that could have the unintended effect of revealing a child to belong to another man.

DNA testing is becoming more common in courts, health care systems and in cases of organ transplants. Perhaps the most widespread use on the horizon is to diagnose susceptibility to hereditary diseases. Are you likely to get Alzheimer's or die from a heart attack or cancer? Medicine promises to one day let you know, should you want to.

Eventually, the researchers argue, there will be a greater need for support services and guidance on how to disclose paternal discrepancy.

"In a society where services and life decisions are increasingly influenced by genetics, our approach to [paternal discrepancy] cannot be simply to ignore this difficult issue," the authors write.

From LiveScience

I think that's a bad stat- seriously, who is taking DNA/paternity tests these days unless there is some sort of doubt and the woman was sleeping around. If everyone (including those who weren't promiscuous) were taking DNA tests, I would think that # would reflect what the real percentage is.

[euro-kitty]

My fathers an asshole,wish it was true in my case

[suede]

Originally Posted by IceQueen

I think that's a bad stat- seriously, who is taking DNA/paternity tests these days unless there is some sort of doubt and the woman was sleeping around. If everyone (including those who weren't promiscuous) were taking DNA tests, I would think that # would reflect what the real percentage is.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure some blood types can show ill paternity as well.

If I have O type blood and my husband has A type blood and the child has B type blood it's not likely to be his child.

It's been while since I've taken a bio class so if I'm totally off someone tell me.

[MaryJane]

Originally Posted by suede

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure some blood types can show ill paternity as well.

If I have O type blood and my husband has A type blood and the child has B type blood it's not likely to be his child.

It's been while since I've taken a bio class so if I'm totally off someone tell me.

Yes if I remember well it should be all about gene 0 being recessive and genes A and B being dominant.
In these case one should be lucky enough to have the child with somebody of the same blood type of their partner
J/k, in my opinion the whole thing is just horrible and unforgivable, and if this 4% statistic is true it is insanely high number.