Maternity Test
Two person DNA test - Mother and Child
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
Maternity testing is used to confirm if a woman is the biological mother of a child. Maternity testing using DNA analysis is as conclusive as paternity testing.
A simple mouth swab is used to collect a small DNA sample from the alleged mother and from the child and the samples are then sent to Cellmark’s specialist DNA laboratory for testing and analysis.
In the laboratory our scientists test the DNA samples with 24 ‘markers’ (for more information see our FAQs) to analyse the relationship of the people being tested. This produces extremely accurate results which will either exclude the woman from maternity with 100% certainty or will indicate a maternal relationship with a very high level of confidence - usually in excess of 99.99%. When carrying out a maternity test, including a sample from the biological father (as well as from the child and alleged mother) will always allow a more conclusive assessment of maternity to be reported. Please telephone us if you would like to discuss this, or include the father in the test.
Maternity tests may be used where a child has been adopted and as an adult has sought to confirm their birth mother. This type of testing is also sometimes used to confirm the biological links to a child conceived by in vitro fertilisation. Please note that DNA at Home's Maternity 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.
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.