A paternity test can be defined as a medical blood test which cross-checks an unborn child’s DNA with that of a certain man (the alleged biological father), to establish a relationship between them. In simpler words, paternity tests are DNA tests which determine if a certain individual is the biological father of an unborn child. Recommended Laboratories for Paternity Testing According to the “American Pregnancy Association,” one should get a paternity test done from laboratories which are authorized by the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks). AABB has recognition all over the world as a leading accrediting source for DNA testing.  Apart from that, AABB has its own relationship testing program with the name of “AABB Relationship Testing Accreditation Program.” This particular program of AABB has set quality standards and also evaluates and provides recognition to different laboratories who are concerned with “relationship testing.”  Also, the American Pregnancy Association supports DNA Diagnostic Centers (DDC), because of the standards that they have maintained throughout while providing services and also keeping their focus on personal health and hygiene. Moreover, the DDC is also accredited by the AABB, thus, giving it a further strong and reliable position for DNA testing.  Here’s a list of paternity tests that can be conducted while pregnant:

Paternity, in simple terms, can be defined as the quality or state of being a father. The person wanting to establish paternity through the required test can either be the mother, father, or child. The reason can be simply for one’s own peace of mind, or due to certain legal situations arising. The legal paternity test results are accepted by the court because a third party, with no vested interest, is involved in its supervision, collection, and documentation. A “DNA Collector,” supervises the whole process from the start to the end, which also includes checking the participants’ identities, witnessing the handling of swabs taken from the cheeks of the concerned parties, and proper documentation and dispatching of the sample to the lab. This helps discount the possibility of fraudulent tampering of the sample and documentation and ensures that the correct results are presented to the court. A person can refuse to take the court-ordered paternity test, but it can have legal consequences. The court can hold the alleged father in contempt of court for violating a court order. Recommended Read:  4 Fascinating DNA Testing Facts Here is an overview, of the top 5 reasons why people might require a legal paternity test Child Custody and Child Support Before a child custody and child support, an order is issued by the court, certain considerations have to be examined first.

Smoking Cessation CD is more common among smokers than non-smokers. Smoker’s also experience more severe symptoms of CS and are at a greater risk for experiencing complications related to CD and/or needing surgery. Smoking also reduces the effectiveness of CD medications resulting in more flare-ups occurring more frequently. Recurrence of the condition following surgery is also likely to occur more rapidly and at a greater severity in smokers. However, quitting all smoking immediately can also exacerbate CD symptoms and induce flare-ups. The resulting flare-ups then often act as triggers that make the patient start smoking again, to relieve their symptoms temporarily. It is not clear which ingredient in cigarettes causes CD conditions to worsen. It is believed that nicotine may be one of the ingredients, since nicotine patches and gum also induce flare-ups. One therapy that may aid in reducing smoking behavior gradually is the antidepressant, Zyban (generic name bupropion). This therapy takes approximately one month before it is completely effective. It significantly reduces long –term smoking than other treatments such as the patch. However, this treatment does have side effects: Drowsiness Dizziness Headaches Dry mouth Excitability Excessive sweating Uncontrollable shaking Constipation Nausea Vomiting Weight loss Seizures Cessation of smoking for just 6 months results in reduced CD flare-ups by up to 65%.

There are several management options for Crohn’s disease. Treatment goals aim to induce and maintain remission, improve nutrition, optimize growth and sexual development in children, and minimize the side effects of treatments for symptoms. Management not only involves symptom reduction, but promotes intestinal healing. Drug Therapy Glucocorticosteroids Glucocorticosteroids are used to treat moderate to severe CD, when other medicines have stopped working to prevent acute exacerbations. Glucocorticosteroids are a group of corticosteroids, a class of steroid hormones. These drugs are used to reduce inflammation by inducing production of protein lipocortin-1. Lipocortin-1 suppresses the activity of phospholipase A2, an enzyme that releases fatty acids called arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is then modified by cyclooxygenase into eicosanoids like prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These eicosanoids mediate inflammation. Thus, glucocorticosteroids reduce inflammation by blocking the production of inflammatory mediators. L ong-term use of glucocorticoids can have harmful effects such as suppression of a vital hormone pathway and development of steroid-dependence. Thus, these treatments are only used in the short-term to put the disease in temporary remission. Once the patient is in remission, the patient is tapered off the treatment. They can be taken as oral pills, enemas, suppositories or topical creams, depending on the nature of the disease.

To determine if a patient has Crohn’s disease, the physician may, in addition to a physical and examination, request a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy. In the case of a colonoscopy, a small camera mounted with a light is inserted into the anus to exam the colon. In the case of an upper endoscopy, the camera is inserted through the mouth, and through the esophagus, stomach and first parts of the small intestine. A biopsy of the infected area may also be taken to confirm or determine whether the tissue is diseased. In cases where the disease occurs in places that cannot be visualized through endoscopy, the small intestine may be viewed by performing a CT scan or MRI of the intestine. To visualize the tissue, the patient drinks a contrasting solution that improves viewing of the tissue temporarily. Other techniques involve swallowing a pill-sized camera that takes pictures as it progresses through the intestines.