Sample Collection Instructions | Prenatal Test

Read and follow these instructions carefully to ensure the validity of your sample and test result.

We recommended waiting until the mother is at least 7 weeks from conception or in the 9th week of pregnancy. You can check your due date by using our pregnancy calculator, but we recommend checking with your doctor for confirmation.

Note: The mother’s blood sample needs to be collected by a trained professional such as a doctor, nurse or phlebotomist, while the father’s sample (cheek cells) can be collected at home by the participant themselves. It is not the company’s responsibility to set an appointment for the blood collection. We strongly recommend that you confirm the availability of a collector prior to ordering the test.

Precautions

  • Please contact the courier before your appointment to allow a convenient collection time for pick-up of the samples. The samples should be dispatched on the same day as the blood sample is collected.
  • We also strongly recommend that the blood sample collection takes place as early as possible in the day.
  • Send your samples using the courier pouch provided. Do not use any other blood collection tubes other than the ones provided in the kit.
  • Ensure that the correct amount of blood is supplied.
  • The father’s samples can be done at home by the participant  following the instructions provided in our kit.
  • Ensure that the sample submission form is completed and that all the required information has been filled in.

Contents of the Sampling Kit

– 1x box containing:

  • 1x consent form
  • 1x sample collection instructions
  • 1x courier collection instructions
  • 1x terms & conditions
  • 1x swab envelope
  • 2x 2 swabs
  • 2x absorbent pad
  • 2x 10 ml blood collection tube
  • 1x foam insert
  • 1x biohazard bag
  • 1x security seal
  • 1x return courier pouch

Procedure for Blood Sample Collection (mother)

  • Book an appointment with a person qualified to take the blood sample (more than 7 ml), and remember to take your sample collection kit with you to your appointment.
  • It is important to drink plenty of water just before the blood sample collection.
  • Use the 2x 10 ml blood collection tubes for the mother’s sample, ensuring that the tubes are properly labelled with the information requested.
  • Fill out the consent forms carefully.
  • Once the doctor or nurse has collected the blood sample in the relevant tubes and labelled them carefully, it is recommended that the tubes are rotated by hand to ensure that the blood, anticoagulant and stabilizer are thoroughly mixed. The tubes must be placed back into the foam insert provided.

The father’s samples (cheek cells) are collected via 4 mouth swabs. Visit our sample collection page for more information on how to collect a swab sample.

Sending your samples back

  • First, place the Foam insert including the tubes and absorbent pads into the Biohazard Bag. Insert the Biohazard Bag into the white box provided.
  • Include the envelope containing the father’s swabs and consent form, but do not place them inside the Biohazard Bag together with the other samples.
  • Insert the white box into the courier pouch provided, taking note of the tracking number and sealing the pack.
  • Ensure that the samples are kept at room temperature as excess heat can cause samples to fail.
  • Close and seal the courier pouch correctly. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the samples in transit and the need to re-sample.
  • Call up the courier for collection and dispatch of your samples. Make sure to mention that you have a prepaid courier pouch.
  • Once samples have been sent, contact us to confirm that you have sent the samples. Always remember to quote case reference code.

Please organise to have the samples collected on the same day of collection and within a short period of time as the samples need to return to the laboratory within 4 days.

For our clients based in the Ontario area ONLY, we can assist with booking the sample collection at an extra cost of $70. Please contact us to set up an appointment AFTER purchasing the test.

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