Are Paternity Tests Necessary - You Decide ?

More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any other year in the nation's history -- and a wedding band made increasingly little difference in the matter.

The 4,317,119 births, reported by federal researchers recently, topped the 1957 record which was at the height of the baby boom. The lowest birth rates recorded in the United States occurred during the Great Depression.The difference between the baby boom of post World War II USA, and the "boomlet" of today is that less woman were having more babies in post World War II (an average of 4 children per household) as opposed to more women having less babies today (an average of 2.1 per household) - that would mean there are more men having more babies today, too. The U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, however, the trend also indicated that teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row - perhaps a result of lack of education on birth control, a snapshot of the changes in our culture or the decline in abortions in our country. Whatever the case, teen birth rates generally fall into the "unwed" mother category and the father needs to sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity in most states.

The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older.

For a variety of reasons, it's become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, said Duke University's S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility researcher. Should sperm donors be required to submit to a DNA test for the record, in case in 20 years from now, their offspring require DNA history for medical purposes?

Even happy couples may be living together without getting married, experts say. And more women -- especially those in their 30s and 40s -- are choosing to have children despite their single status.In most states, if the mother and father are not married, then the child's birth certificate does not automatically have the man listed as the father. The father usually has about 60 days to have his name placed on the birth certificate which is ample time to have a paternity test.

While the number of births in the U.S. reached nearly 4.3 million in 2006, mainly due to a larger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics, it's not clear the boomlet will last. Some experts think birth rates are already declining because of the economic recession that began in late 2007.The 2007 figures reflected a relatively good economy coupled with cultural trends that promoted childbirth; however, we need the fathers of these children to be properly acknowledged so that the children receive support from their father's and not the state. Today's DNA tests provide fast Peace of Mind for any man with a doubt about the paternity of a child.

Meanwhile, U.S. abortions dropped to their lowest levels in decades, according to other reports. Some have attributed the abortion decline to better use of contraceptives, but other experts have wondered if the rise in births might indicate a failure in proper use of contraceptives. Some earlier studies have shown declining availability of abortions.