Sodiq Ojuroungbe As failed DNA paternity tests have left many hearts broken and marriages crashing, psychologists have linked the increasing cases to medical errors, inaccuracies in genetic testing, and baby exchange, among others. The mental health experts noted that several variables could lead to a situation where a child’s paternity was questioned, beyond the common blame on infidelity and deception. According to them, factors such as negligence, ignorance, and genetic testing errors could also contribute to this phenomenon.
They spoke exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise amid growing concern about paternity fraud, with increasing reports revealing that many children have been falsely attributed to men who are not their biological fathers. In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing trend of paternity fraud, where children are discovered not to belong to their supposed fathers. This phenomenon has left many families in shock, with some marriages ending in divorce due to the discovery.
While infidelity is often linked to the primary cause of paternity fraud, psychologists, however, said there could be other factors at play. Speaking with our correspondent, the experts said there was a need for couples to explore all options available before jumping to conclusions that the women cheated in the relationship. While identifying the lack of pre-marital genetic testing as one of the factors that could be responsible, the mental health experts noted that prospective parent.