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.
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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