DNA Testing for Newborns: Why Wait?

Rules for establishing paternity vary greatly among cultures around the world, and even across states in the United States. In some places, a man can be held liable for child support even if a DNA test proves he is not the father, and even if he has no relationship or even visitation with the child. Sounds nuts? Yup, but it's true. If you're married, and you have a kid, legally that kid is yours. But isn't the law a little bit behind reality? We all know that marriage does not guarantee anything.

Why does the law just assume that when a child is born to a married couple, the husband is automatically the father, when quite often, he is not? It's a little bit old fashioned, wouldn't you say? It's like the law stuck it's head in the sand for the last hundred years. Some people have suggested universal testing for paternity at birth, and I say, "Go for it." Why should kids continue to be born not knowing who their biological fathers are? But until that day comes, what does one do if they have suspicion of a newborn child swinging from a family tree where it doesn't belong?

Here's my two cents...fellas, this is for you: have a mature conversation with your woman; if the relationship is a strong and a loving one, then this should be smooth. If she says there's nothing to hide, have a paternity test done right away. If you have doubts, resolve them as soon as possible after birth. Things get infinitely more complex as your love for that child grows. Trust me on this: if you get a DNA test, your questions are answered, and you move on. If you wait, the questions don't go away on their own, and the complexity multiplies.

And that's my two cents!