The question of the day is, “Who’s your daddy?”

A new study out says many dads are unknowingly raising someone else’s kids.

The findings come from several international studies, including many done here in the U.S., between 1950 and 2004. The conclusions are amazing: the problem of so-called “paternal discrepancy” is higher than most would have believed.

The latest research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, says around one in ever twenty five dads could unknowingly be raising another man’s child.

Rates of paternal discrepancy range from less than 1% to as much as 30%. But even a rate of 4% means that around one in 25 families could be affected.

The authors say the implications are huge, given an increasing use of DNA profiling and genetic testing by health systems for things like organ donation, and by the judicial system for crime investigations.

Dr. Marvin Schwalb, the Director for the Center for Human and Molecular Genetics at University Hospital in Newark says, “It’s a problem that’s been around for a long time but its getting worse in the sense that we now do many more genetic diagnoses we require much more information about people’s genetic history.”

That’s because of the number of medical conditions thought to be related to a person’s genetics like heart disease, and cancer and the potential for genetic treatments.

“We try to let the mothers know that there is a risk in some genetic testing for actually uncovering something they might prefer not to find out,” states Dr. Schwalb.

Increased genetic testing raises concerns it will also reveal even higher rates of paternal discordance.

The discovery can lead to family break up and violence; children can experience low self esteem and anxiety, and become aggressive with peers.

But not knowing the right father causes other significant problems. “You do a diagnosis on a child or a prenatal diagnosis and you are dependant upon having accurate information on both parents and it turns that the information isn’t accurate and you may come out with the wrong diagnosis,” Dr. Schwalb says.

It’s a Pandora’s box, partially opened the question is, whether to open it up completely and identify perhaps every dad who isn’t the true father.

The authors call for better procedures for exposing the problem to those affected when and if a health or judicial procedure identifies a case of paternal discrepancy.

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