Yes! A buccal swab sample is safe to collect from people of all ages, including newborns. If you’re about to collect a sample from a baby, here are some helpful tips to make the process easy:
🔹 Avoid Anything in the Baby’s Mouth for 1 Hour – This includes pacifiers, fingers, or any objects.
🔹 No Breastfeeding for 2 Hours Before – To avoid any DNA from the breast milk affecting the results, ensure the baby hasn’t been breastfed in the last 2 hours. If it has been less than 2 hours since the baby has nursed, use wet cotton swabs to swab the inside of the cheeks and gum before the DNA collection. This will help to remove any left-over breast milk.
🔹 Swab the Inside of the Cheek – Gently rub the swab on the baby’s cheek for 30 seconds to collect the sample.
🔹 Avoid the Gums and Mouth – Make sure not to touch the gums or other parts of the mouth. Use your non-dominant hand to gently hold the outside of the baby’s cheek for support. You are collecting cheek cells, not saliva!
🔹 Let the Swab Dry – If the swab is very wet, hold it in the air to dry for a few minutes before placing it in the specimen envelope. Do not use a hair dryer or any heat source.
🔹 Best Time to Collect – It’s often easier to collect the sample when the baby is asleep or just after they’ve woken up.