Misattributed paternity is the situation when a child’s putative
father is not the child's
biological father. Overall, the incidence of misattributed paternity ranges from about 1% to 2%, though it may be considerably higher in certain populations.
Genetic testing for purposes other than establishing paternity has the potential to unintentionally yield information regarding a child’s paternity. This generally occurs in two different scenarios: the first occurs in searches for a suitable
bone marrow or
organ donor where the patient’s family members are tested; the second is in the course of a genetic-risk assessment for
reproductive purposes.