Prenatal Paternity Testing in Wyoming

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 Wyoming, paternity for a child born outside marriage can be established by signing an Affidavit Establishing Paternity, by a court order, or through the Wyoming Child Support Program (CSP) using genetic testing, and under Wyoming’s Uniform Parentage Act a man is rebuttably identified as the father if accredited genetic tests show at least a 99% probability of paternity and a combined paternity index of at least 100 to 1, as described in the CSP policy manual section “8.2.3 Paternity – Genetic Testing” and Social Security’s summary of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14‑2‑705.

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 Wyoming families coordinate early NIPP testing with prenatal care through Wyoming Medicaid Pregnant Women programs, which provide comprehensive health coverage—including prenatal visits, labs, ultrasounds, hospital delivery, and 12‑month postpartum coverage—for income‑eligible pregnant women, as outlined in the Casper‑Natrona County Health Department’s Medicaid Pregnancy Program and policy summaries of Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Wyoming.

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 aligns with Wyoming’s efforts to improve maternal health by expanding pregnancy‑related coverage—pregnant women are eligible for Medicaid with household incomes up to about 159% of the federal poverty level, and recent state policy extends pregnancy Medicaid for 12 months postpartum while also offering family‑planning coverage through the Pregnant by Choice program, as described in Wyoming Medicaid Births and Postpartum Coverage Extension and state pages for Pregnant by Choice.

Legal prenatal paternity tests that follow strict chain‑of‑custody procedures can be used in Wyoming child‑support, custody, and inheritance cases once the child is born, provided they comply with Wyoming’s Uniform Parentage Act and CSP policies. In paternity and child‑support proceedings, the District Court or Child Support Program may order genetic testing upon a sworn statement, and if accredited results show a 99% or greater probability of paternity with a paternity index of at least 100 to 1, the man is rebuttably identified as the father; he can rebut only with other accredited test results excluding him or identifying another possible father, as detailed in CSP policy “8.2.3 Paternity – Genetic Testing”, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14‑2‑702, and Social Security’s analysis of Wyoming parentage law.

Most private health plans and Wyoming Medicaid treat prenatal paternity testing as an elective, non‑covered service, even though Medicaid covers medically necessary prenatal and delivery care and pays a significant share of births in the state. Pregnant Wyoming residents can qualify for pregnancy Medicaid with incomes up to about 159% of the federal poverty level and receive full prenatal, delivery, and 12‑month postpartum benefits—prenatal visits, labs, ultrasounds, prescriptions, hospital delivery, and some behavioral‑health supports—while WV CHIP‑style maternity coverage is complemented by the Pregnant by Choice family‑planning option for postpartum women, as described in Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Wyoming, the Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Extension fact sheet, and the state’s Medicaid Pregnancy Program.

Wyoming residents can access prenatal visits, ultrasounds, childbirth education, postpartum care, and newborn coverage through Wyoming Medicaid Pregnant Women programs, local health departments, and hospital‑based OB practices, with eligibility and services described in the Medicaid Pregnancy Program – Casper‑Natrona County Health Department and statewide overviews of Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Wyoming. Additional support—like home visiting, lactation help, and care coordination—comes from Maternal and Child Health programs and initiatives such as Your Healthy Pregnancy and Pregnant by Choice, detailed on the Wyoming Department of Health’s Your Healthy Pregnancy and Pregnant by Choice pages.

For legal questions about custody, visitation, child support, or how DNA testing affects parental rights, parents can start with the Wyoming Child Support Program’s Parents & Caregivers page and the state child support policy manual section “8.2.3 Paternity – Genetic Testing”, which explain affidavits, court‑ordered genetic testing, and the 99% probability standard. Additional plain‑language help comes from Legal Aid of Wyoming’s “Paternity: The Basics” and the Equal Justice Wyoming Paternity Resources, which outline acknowledgments, court actions, and how paternity orders affect parental rights and child 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.