Grandparent Test
Examine the relationship between a child and a possible grandparent
In the kit
The DNA testing kit contains everything you need to take your DNA samples and return them to us for testing.
- A folder with information about Cellmark and the DNA testing kit
- Clear instructions about how to take the DNA samples
- A mouth swab for each person to be tested
- A sample collection card for each person to be tested
- A sample declaration form for each person, requiring a signature to provide consent
- A tamperproof, prepaid return envelope
All our Home DNA kits are mailed out inside a non-branded envelope, there is no mention of Cellmark or DNA at Home on the envelope and it will be labelled ‘Private and Confidential’.
Next Day results
If all of your DNA samples arrive at our UK laboratory before 10am we aim to send the test result to you by the end of the next working day by email.
Important Information
Grandparentage testing is used to examine the relationship between a child and a possible grandparent. Inclusion of other close relatives in the test is always recommended.
Grandparent testing to establish paternity or maternity – when both relevant grandparents are available for testing
Grandparentage testing can be useful for establishing a relationship between a child and a parent, in situations where that parent cannot be tested. It can, for example, be used to establish the paternity of a child if both paternal grandparents can be tested, or to determine a maternal relationship when both maternal grandparents can provide samples.
In these types of test the inclusion of a sample from the child’s other parent is always recommended. For example if demonstrating paternity by testing a child and the paternal grandparents, the child’s mother should also be included. Without the mother in this type of case the test can provide an indication of a relationship but, because of the patterns of DNA inheritance, it will not always reveal the true nature of the relationship. Such an analysis can only report the most likely relationship ‘given the DNA evidence’.
Grandparent testing to establish paternity or maternity – when only one grandparent is available for testing
If you are looking to establish paternity of a child in the absence of the father (the child’s mother is being tested), but only one of the paternal grandparents is available, the test can provide an indication of whether the two individuals are related but, because of the patterns of DNA inheritance it is not always possible to detect a relationship and it cannot provide a conclusive result. In these types of test the inclusion of a sample from the child’s other parent is always recommended.
Please note that DNA at Home's grandparent test is for ‘curiosity’ purposes only; if the results are going to be used in a legal matter they may not be accepted by the UK courts and we would encourage you to visit our legal DNA testing site to order a test - www.cellmark.co.uk. As with all our DNA relationship testing services we offer a Next Day DNA service at no extra cost. This means that if all the DNA samples for your test arrive at our UK laboratory before 10am, we aim to send the test result to you by the end of the next working day by email (also please see our FAQs). DNA relationship testing can be a life changing event and we would urge that before ordering a test you think carefully about the potential outcomes and have considered if testing will be in the best interests of the child(ren) involved.
If you have any questions please call our customer services team free on 0800 043 1987.