Prenatal Paternity Testing in Plymouth, NH

Non‑invasive prenatal paternity testing uses a standard blood draw from the pregnant mother and a cheek swab from the alleged father to compare the baby’s DNA to the father’s DNA markers, without disturbing the pregnancy. In New Hampshire paternity cases, the court or the Department of Health and Human Services can require the mother, child, and alleged father to submit to blood, tissue‑typing, or DNA genetic‑marker tests from an accredited lab under RSA 522:1 (Authority for Test).

Most non‑invasive prenatal paternity tests can be performed starting around the 7th week of pregnancy, counted from the first day of your last menstrual period. Many New Hampshire families coordinate early testing with prenatal care through Medicaid (Granite Advantage and traditional Medicaid), which covers prenatal visits, laboratory tests, delivery, and at least 60 days of postpartum care for eligible pregnant women, as summarized in “Women and Medicaid in New Hampshire” and current Medicaid eligibility tables showing coverage up to about 196% of the federal poverty level for pregnant women.

NIPP is considered low‑risk because it uses a routine maternal blood draw and avoids invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. This blood‑based method aligns with New Hampshire’s emphasis on early prenatal care and temporary Medicaid through Presumptive Eligibility, which can provide short‑term coverage for income‑eligible pregnant people while a full Medicaid application is processed, as described in maternity‑care reports noting New Hampshire’s presumptive‑eligibility program for pregnancy services.

Legal prenatal paternity tests that follow strict chain‑of‑custody procedures can be used in New Hampshire paternity, custody, and child‑support cases once the child is born. State law allows a court or DHHS to order genetic paternity testing in any civil case where paternity is contested, and if a party refuses testing the court may decide paternity against that party, as set out in RSA 522:1 and summarized in paternity‑law overviews and Social Security analyses of New Hampshire DNA‑based paternity standards.

Most private plans and New Hampshire Medicaid treat prenatal paternity testing as an elective, non‑covered service, even though Medicaid is a major payer for medically necessary prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum services. Pregnant residents who meet income requirements (up to roughly 196% of the federal poverty level) can receive full Medicaid maternity coverage, including prenatal visits, vitamins, ultrasound and amniocentesis when medically indicated, childbirth by vaginal or cesarean delivery, and 60 days of postpartum care, as detailed in “Women and Medicaid in New Hampshire” and current Medicaid‑eligibility guidance.

New Hampshire residents can access prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and postpartum services through Medicaid managed‑care plans such as AmeriHealth Caritas, New Hampshire Healthy Families, and Well Sense, which administer the Granite Advantage program and offer case management, transportation, and maternity supports. Health plans also run pregnancy‑support programs like AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire’s Bright Start and NH Healthy Families’ Start Smart for Your Baby, which provide nurse coaching, reminder calls, and educational materials from pregnancy through the baby’s first year.

For legal questions about custody, child support, or how DNA testing affects your parental rights, you can start with 603 Legal Aid’s information on paternity and child support and its introduction to child support. You can also review New Hampshire paternity‑law summaries under RSA 168‑A (Establishment of Paternity; Enforcement) and plain‑language explanations from local family‑law firms, such as Celenza Family Law’s paternity law overview and Cohen & Winters’ guide to paternity in New Hampshire.

No, previous pregnancies do not interfere with NIPP results. The test isolates fetal DNA specific to the current pregnancy, ensuring accurate results regardless of prior pregnancies.

Yes, testing is possible if potential fathers are related, but additional analysis may be required to distinguish between their DNA profiles. Informing the lab about this relationship ensures more precise testing.

No, since the multiples will share the same DNA, it will be impossible to determine how many & which is which.

Yes! Both legal and non-legal NIPP tests include free gender determination as part of your results package.