Should you Feed Your Baby Before a DNA test?
It is best to avoid feeding your baby before a DNA test for an hour before the test. Although the DNA will not be impacted in can cause contamination of the sample. Breast milk should certainly be avoided at least 1 hour before the test. Breast milk can add DNA from the mother’s milk. Hence it is recommended that a baby should not be fed breast milk 1 hour before the test.
What Can Cause a DNA Test to be Inaccurate?
There could be a number of reasons a DNA test becomes inconclusive.
• The quantity of cells collected may not be sufficient if not correctly collected. This could require a re-collection of the sample as results could be non-conclusive.
• The quality of the sample collected must be accurate. This means the sample must be collected by using sanitized swabs for cheek swabs and should not be handled by anyone but a tester who is qualified. The swabs must be placed in appropriate packaging as part of generating accurate results.
• Foreign particles like food and food products can cause DNA to be altered.
What is the Most Accurate Way to Collect DNA?
Cheek Swabs (Oral Buccal Swab) are the most common method of collecting DNA as they provide a higher quality of DNA results. Saliva is sometimes used as there are some studies that show less contamination in saliva. However, saliva collection may not provide as high a level of DNA as the cheek swab.
Blood collection is sometimes used for DNA testing. However, this is not a common method of measuring DNA.
DNA testing should be done through a reputable DNA laboratory. SmarTest Labs testers have formal training in the collection of samples and are trained to provide you guidance through the selection of appropriate DNA tests under a strict Chain of Custody. We are AABB-certified to conduct DNA tests.
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