The Home Test Kits For Paternity DNA Testing

14 Aug 2017

The vast bulk of DNA tests are now carried out at home. Paternity DNA tests, ancestry testing, twin Zygosity tests- these are just some of the ones that can be done at home using a home testing kit. Once you have collected your samples all you need to do is send back the home kit for laboratory testing and analysis to go ahead.

What is Home-testing Kit?

A home-kit is all you need to collect your samples. In a typical DNA testing kit, you will find sterile oral mouth swabs for every person taking part in the test. Many companies provide two mouth swabs per person. The mouth swabs are very easy to use and sampling is done by rubbing them in the mouth for around ten seconds. Instructions always accompany the kit so as to fully guide you through your sampling and make it easy for you.

Saliva DNA Samples for your Home DNA Paternity test

To many people who do not have a backgound in DNA testing, using saliva to extract DNA sounds questionable. However, a quick search for reputable DNA testing companies and laboratories will yield results showing how outdated and impractical blood is for such tests as opposed to saliva. Saliva is a highly reliable sample that offers a very success rate. Laboratory testing does not actually use the saliva but the cheek cells that you rub off by the thousands when you rub the buccal/oral swabs on the inside of your mouth.

Guidelines for using an at-home testing kit

The ‘at-home’ kit is extremely simple to use. There are a few basic guidelines you should follow to make sure that your samples offer the highest success rates. Prior to rubbing the swabs inside your mouth, make sure that all test participant do not eat or drink for at least an hour. Water is the only drink allowed. Infant should not be fed for an hour before their DNA sample is taken. Moreover, they should be given some tepid water to drink just before they are swabbed.

Smoking is also not allowed for one hour before you being taking DNA samples

One should also be careful not to touch the cotton ended part of the swab and also make sure swabs from different people do not come into contact with each other.

These are very simply steps to follow; should you not follow these carefully, your samples may be useless for your paternity test.

When you will not be able to use a DNA Home Testing Kit

Legal DNA paternity testing: this type of test must follow a very strict procedure known as a ‘chain of custody’ which does not allow you to take your own DNA samples. All samples must be taken by a neutral third party.

Immigration DNA testing- this type of test also requires a third party taking your saliva DNA samples and cannot be done by you at home.

Using home DNA testing kits has made paternity DNA tests practical and simple. If all steps involved are followed there should be no reason for the test not to be concluded successfully.