INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ) TESTS LUMBAR PUNCTURE

IQ tests are usually performed by trained psychologists as part of a total assessment of a child’s development and achievement. An IQ test is often performed when a child is suspected of having developmental delay or learning difficulties. The test itself compares the child’s performance in a wide range of cognitive/thinking skills and tasks with the scores of a large sample of children of the same age. An average score falls between 85 and 115. IQ test results should not be looked at in isolation as being truly representative of overall intelligence. They can only be used as a guide, because many other factors come into play with respect to learning, such as motivation, health and social circumstances.

LUMBAR PUNCTURE

The fluid surrounding the spinal cord and brain is called cerebrospinal fluid and protects the delicate nervous system. If there is any suspicion that your child has developed an infection in this fluid (as in meningitis), then a lumbar puncture (or spinal tap) is performed under sterile conditions, usually at the hospital. A fine needle is passed into the spinal canal, and a small amount of fluid is removed and sent to the laboratory for testing. In older children, local anaesthetic may be used to make the area numb; this is not done in younger children, as it requires two needle pricks instead of the one.

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ECHOCARDIOGRAM

This test uses ultrasound techniques to produce an image of the heart on a television screen, and can be an invaluable aid in showing up abnormalities in both heart structure and function.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG)

An electrocardiogram is produced by a machine which monitors the electrical activity of the heart. Leads are attached to your child’s chest with stickers, and rubber straps attached to leads are placed around the ankles and wrists. Electrical impulses are recorded on a moving graph. Abnormalities of the heart’s rhythm, size and structure can be detected. It is a harmless and painless procedure. Young children may be afraid because they have to lie as still as possible during the recording, so it helps if you are nearby to reassure your child.

ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG)

This is a painless procedure performed when there is any suspicion that your child has epilepsy, or when he has had convulsions for any reason. Electrodes are attached to your child’s head with a gluey material, and the electrical activity of the brain IS recorded on graph paper by an electroencephalograph. The patterns are then interpreted by a specialist doctor. The procedure is harmless. Young children are often given sedation before the procedure, and sometimes the doctor may want an EEG performed while the child is asleep in order to diagnose certain conditions.

ENDOSCOPIES

Endoscopies are performed using a tiny fibre-optic camera attached to the end of a long, flexible tube. With the child under sedation, this is passed either through the mouth into the oesophagus (oesopbagoscopy), into the stomach and upper bowel (gastroscopy), or into the rectum and lower bowel (colonoscopy). Younger children may require a light general anaesthetic. Gastroscopy is performed if there is any suspicion that the child has a problem such as a peptic ulcer. Colonoscopy may be performed if a diagnosis such as inflammatory bowel disease has been suggested.

EYE SWAB

If your child has a sore or itchy eye in which a discharge is present, your doctor will usually take an eye swab. This involves gently removing some of the material with a sterile cotton bud, and sending it to the laboratory for identification of the germ causing the infection. The appropriate antibiotic to fight the germ can also be determined.

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