Prenatal Paternity Test
A non-invasive prenatal paternity test that establishes who the father is from as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy, using a blood sample from the mother and a simple cheek swab from the possible father. No risk to your baby. From £765 with your own sample collection, £795 at one of our clinics or £815 with a nurse home visit. Your results are emailed to you within 15 working days.... Read more
A non-invasive prenatal paternity test that establishes who the father is from as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy, using a blood sample from the mother and a simple cheek swab from the possible father. No risk to your baby. From £765 with your own sample collection, £795 at one of our clinics or £815 with a nurse home visit. Your results are emailed to you within 15 working days.
Key facts
- Price: from £765 with your own sample collection; £795 at a Goodbody clinic; £815 with a nurse home visit
- From: 10 weeks of pregnancy, dated from the first day of your last period
- Samples: a venous blood sample from the mother and a cheek swab from the possible father; up to three possible fathers can be tested at no extra cost
- How it works: the baby's DNA circulating in the mother's blood is compared with the possible father's DNA at thousands of genetic markers
- Results: emailed within 15 working days of the samples reaching the laboratory
- Safety: non-invasive, no risk to mother or baby; this test is for peace of mind and is not a court-admissible legal test
Your questions answered
Can you do a DNA test while pregnant?
Yes. A non-invasive prenatal paternity test needs only a blood sample from the mother and a cheek swab from the possible father. From around 10 weeks of pregnancy enough of the baby's DNA circulates in the mother's blood to be separated out and compared with the father's, so paternity can be established months before the birth with no procedure that touches the baby.
How early can you do a paternity test in pregnancy?
From 10 weeks of pregnancy, counted from the first day of your last period, which is around eight weeks after conception. Before that the amount of the baby's DNA in the mother's blood may be too low for a reliable result. If you book before 10 weeks, we schedule the blood sample for the earliest reliable date. Testing later in pregnancy works just as well.
How accurate is a prenatal paternity test?
Non-invasive prenatal paternity testing compares the baby's DNA with the possible father's at thousands of genetic markers and gives a probability of paternity above 99.9 percent when he is the father, and excludes him with certainty when he is not. Accuracy depends on there being enough of the baby's DNA in the sample, which is why the test is not run before 10 weeks. In a small number of cases the laboratory will ask for a repeat sample a few weeks later.
Is a prenatal paternity test safe?
Yes. The test uses a standard blood sample from the mother's arm and a cheek swab from the possible father, so there is no risk to the baby. Older methods of establishing paternity before birth used amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, which carry a small risk of miscarriage and are only done for medical reasons. Non-invasive testing has replaced them for paternity questions.
How much is a paternity test while pregnant in the UK?
At Goodbody Clinic a non-invasive prenatal paternity test costs from £765 when you arrange your own sample collection, £795 with the mother's blood sample taken at one of our clinics, or £815 with a nurse visiting your home. Prices elsewhere in the UK typically range from about £750 to over £1,000, with clinic sample collection often charged on top. Testing a second or third possible father is included at no extra cost.
Can you get a paternity test on the NHS?
No. The NHS does not offer paternity testing, before or after birth, because it is not a medical need. Prenatal paternity tests are only available privately. The NHS blood tests taken in pregnancy, including the screening tests for chromosomal conditions, do not test paternity.
Can you do a paternity test while pregnant with blood only?
The mother's part of the test is blood only. The possible father provides a cheek swab, which is painless and takes a few seconds. If the father cannot attend the clinic, a swab kit can be sent to him to complete at home and return. Both samples are needed for the laboratory to compare the baby's DNA with his.
How does a prenatal paternity test work?
During pregnancy small fragments of the baby's DNA cross the placenta into the mother's bloodstream, making up a few percent of the free DNA in her blood. The laboratory separates and sequences this DNA, identifies which parts came from the baby rather than the mother, and compares them with the possible father's DNA at thousands of points. Half of the baby's DNA comes from the father, so a true father will match at every point where he must; a non-father will not.
What does the test involve on the day?
The mother has a standard blood sample taken from the arm, either at a Goodbody clinic, by a nurse at home, or through a collection you arrange. The possible father rubs a swab inside his cheek for about 30 seconds. Both samples are sealed, labelled and sent to the laboratory together. No fasting or preparation is needed. Results are emailed to the named contact within 15 working days.
Can more than one possible father be tested?
Yes. Up to three possible fathers can be tested at no extra cost. Each provides a cheek swab and all are compared with the baby's DNA from the same maternal blood sample. Tell us when you book so we can send the additional swabs.
Can this test be used for legal purposes?
No. This is a peace-of-mind test: samples are provided by you rather than collected under an identity-verified chain of custody, so the result cannot be used in court, for a birth certificate or for immigration. If you need a legally admissible result, a legal paternity test after the baby is born, arranged through an accredited legal testing provider, is the usual route.
Does the test also tell me the baby's sex?
Not as standard: the report answers the paternity question. If you would also like to know the baby's sex, our Early Baby Gender Blood Test is available from 6 weeks of pregnancy and can be booked separately.
What happens next
Your results are emailed within 15 working days of both samples reaching the laboratory. The report states the probability of paternity in plain language, and our team is available to explain it. The test is completely non-invasive, so there is no follow-up appointment or recovery. All samples are analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
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What biomarkers do we test?
How our tests work
Book online...
Book online, receive your kit and take to your local Goodbody clinic.
Send it back…
Send your sample in the post to be analysed at an accredited laboratory.
Get results.
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory, with guidance from our support team.
Available testing locations for Prenatal Paternity Test
Aberdeen Clinic GCI Advanced Aesthetics
Abergavenny Clinic Amatsu Centre
Airdrie Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Aldershot Clinic Wellington Pharmacy
Alton Clinic Four Marks Pharmacy
Andover Clinic Dr Malaika Clinics
Anniesland Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Arlesey Clinic Waterloo Farm Wellness
Armadale Clinic Dears Pharmacy
Ascot Clinic Ascot Pharmacy
AshbyDeLaZouch Clinic Aeternum Aesthetics
Ashford Clinic Breakspear Pharmacy
Aveley Clinic Doctor B Aesthetics
Aylesbury Clinic Aura Body Clinic
Aylesbury Clinic Pearlfect Care Pharmacy
Aylsham Clinic North Norfolk Ear & Skin Care
Ballingry Clinic
Barnet Clinic Co Wellbeing
Find More
More Information
How our blood tests work
Have your blood taken in-clinic by one of our skilled phlebotomists and check multiple biomarkers in one go. Many of our tests can also be done in the comfort of your own home with one of our easy-to-use test kits.
Testing
Take a test, either in the comfort of your own home, with a nurse visit, or at one of our clinics nationwide.
Analysis
Your sample is analysed in the clinic, laboratory or using your home test equipment.
Results
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory.
Not sure if this test
is right for you?
Enquire via the form and a member of our team will get back to you, they are more than happy to help answer your questions and talk through the best option for you.
Contact us if you aren't sure, we'd be happy to help!
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Experts you can trust
Meet our Goodbody Experts
Our team of professionals has decades of experience so you can be sure you’re getting the best tests and support to understand and improve your health.
Get in touch with Our Team
Dr Lebeth Jacob
BSc (Hons) MBChB
Registered GP & Lead Medical Advisor
Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev
MA, PhD, FRSM
Clinical Support Advisor
Dr Cheng Boon
MBCHB, MRCP, FRCR
Consultant Oncologist
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