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You may think you need to wait until your baby is born to find out for sure whether someone is his or her father. But advances in science mean it is now possible to accurately test for paternity before a baby is born without posing any risk to your unborn child.

DNA testing usually takes place after a child has been born but waiting to test can cause arguments, upset and worry at an already stressful time. AlphaBiolabs offers prenatal paternity tests, which can be carried out once you are at least 8 weeks pregnant (or a minimum of 6 weeks after conception).

Many customers find that getting a clear answer about paternity at an early stage of pregnancy helps them to plan for the future.

What happens if I take a prenatal paternity test?

If you book a prenatal paternity test with AlphaBiolabs, the mother will be given a straightforward blood test, while a swab will be taken of the potential father’s mouth. This swab test will collect cells from the inside of his cheek and is a completely painless way of providing a sample of DNA for testing.

At AlphaBiolabs, we choose to test the mother’s blood sample as this poses no danger at all to the unborn baby.

Our non-invasive method of testing is effective because during pregnancy, the mother’s blood contains DNA material from the baby growing inside her. Using advanced scientific techniques, we are now able to identify the baby’s DNA and separate it from the mother’s for testing. The baby’s DNA is then compared to both the mother’s and the potential father’s to see if they are biological matches.

All our DNA testing is completely confidential and handled with the utmost discretion but we must have the consent of all parties before we can proceed.

How do I provide a sample?

All blood samples must be collected by someone who has had appropriate professional training. We recommend that you use one of our skilled network of sample collectors or a trained nurse or phlebotomist. The sample must then be sent to the laboratory for testing as soon as possible to avoid the breakdown of red blood cells.

The potential father is asked to provide his DNA sample using a mouth swab. This can be carried out by the sample donor or one of our collectors.

You can choose to attend one of our Walk in Centres to give your sample or arrange an appointment with one of our collectors at a location of your choice, such as your home address.

How do prenatal tests determine paternity before a baby is born?

Everyone has a unique DNA profile made up genes inherited from both their mother and their father. Our geneticists will examine the DNA sample taken from the unborn baby and study up to 35 genetic markers.

These short tandem repeat (STR) markers will include a copy inherited from the mother and another from the father. If both the people who have provided samples for testing are the baby’s biological parents, then all the STR markers will match up. If there are different markers which do not match, then the man is not the baby’s father.

AlphaBiolabs prides itself on offering some of the fastest DNA testing services in the world.

We believe speeding up prenatal paternity testing is vital for the peace of mind of everyone involved. This is why we have worked hard to streamline our process without compromising on accuracy or quality.

For £875, you will receive your prenatal paternity test results within 7 working days. However, we do appreciate that even a week can seem like a lifetime in this situation so for an additional £200, we can fast track your samples and send you the results within 4 working days.

How to order a paternity test before baby is born

Find out the truth about your baby’s paternity now by booking your prenatal test online. We are also happy to answer any questions you might have or explain the testing process in more detail. Simply call our team on 0333 600 1300 or email info@alphabiolabs.com