Prenatal Paternity Testing in Tennessee

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, using cell‑free fetal DNA in the mother’s blood instead of sampling the pregnancy directly. In Tennessee, paternity for a child born outside marriage can be established by signing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAoP), through the Child Support Office, or by court order based on genetic testing, and when DNA test results show a 95% or greater statistical probability of paternity, state law creates a rebuttable presumption that the man is the father under Tennessee Code § 24‑7‑112, as summarized in the Social Security guidance PR 01115.047 – Tennessee and practitioner discussions.

Most non‑invasive prenatal paternity tests can be performed starting around the 7th to 10th week of pregnancy, counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, once there is enough fetal DNA in maternal blood for accurate analysis. Many Tennessee families coordinate early NIPP testing with prenatal care through TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, which covers all prenatal and postpartum care, labor and delivery, hospital stays, dental care, mental‑health support, and now 12‑month postpartum coverage for eligible pregnant members, as described in TennCare’s Medicaid Pregnancy and Postpartum Benefits, the Maternal Health page, and consumer guides like “Health Insurance Options for Pregnant Women in Tennessee”.

NIPP is considered low‑risk because it relies on a routine blood draw from the pregnant mother and avoids invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, which carry a small risk of miscarriage. This blood‑based approach is consistent with Tennessee’s push to improve maternal outcomes by expanding pregnancy Medicaid and postpartum coverage, dental benefits, mental‑health support, and home blood‑pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum TennCare members, as highlighted in TennCare’s Maternal Health updates and outreach materials like the TennCare New Pregnancy Coverage brochure.

Legal prenatal paternity tests that follow strict chain‑of‑custody procedures can be used in Tennessee child‑support, custody, and inheritance cases once the child is born, as long as the testing meets the court’s accreditation and evidence requirements. In judicial or child‑support proceedings where paternity is at issue, the court or Child Support Office can order DNA testing, and if results show at least a 95% probability of paternity, the man is presumed to be the father; when results reach 99% or greater, courts routinely use those results to enter an order of parentage and set child support, as reflected in Tennessee Code § 24‑7‑112, the state’s “Establishing Paternity” page, and practitioner explanations such as Untangling Custody Rights in Tennessee Between Unmarried Parents and Unmarried Parents in Tennessee – Paternity & Custody.

Most private health plans and TennCare treat prenatal paternity testing as an elective, non‑covered service, even though TennCare covers medically necessary prenatal and delivery care and pays a large share of maternity costs in Tennessee. Pregnant Tennesseans whose income meets program rules can enroll through TennCare Connect and receive comprehensive benefits—prenatal and postpartum visits, hospital delivery, dental care, mental‑health and substance‑use treatment, free breast pumps, and 12‑month postpartum coverage—as described in Health Insurance Options for Pregnant Women in Tennessee, TennCare’s Medicaid Pregnancy and Postpartum Benefits, and outreach materials like the TennCare 2022 Pregnancy Updates.

Tennessee residents can access prenatal visits, ultrasounds, childbirth education, postpartum care, and newborn coverage through TennCare, CoverKids, community health centers, and county health departments, with core benefits and eligibility described on TennCare’s Maternal Health page and in the Medicaid Pregnancy and Postpartum Benefits guidance. Local health departments and outreach programs, such as the TennCare Presumptive Prenatal Medicaid Program, help pregnant people get quick, temporary TennCare coverage so they can start prenatal care early while full eligibility is processed.

For legal questions about custody, visitation, child support, or how DNA testing affects parental rights, parents can start with the Tennessee Department of Human Services’ “Establishing Paternity” page, which explains the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity program, court‑ordered DNA testing, and how paternity ties into child‑support orders. Additional plain‑language help comes from Tennessee family‑law resources like Unmarried Parents in Tennessee – Paternity & Custody, Establishing Paternity in Tennessee, and Establishing Paternity & Child Custody – Cole Law Group, which walk through voluntary acknowledgment, genetic testing, and how paternity orders affect custody and support.

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.