Uses Of A Lumbar Puncture Needle

A newborn child is definitely a source of joy for the parents along with other family members. Yet, the occasion turns somber when the child is born prematurely or has some serious health issues. While there are numerous medical equipment that aid the neonate to remain stable and develop slowly, it is the act of feeding as well as medicating the baby that necessitates the use of specific tubes.

Sure, there are multiple distributors who provide the devices, yet most medical facilities prefer to rely on the ones that have already proved their worth especially when it concerns a new born baby. The small infant who happens to be underweight may also require the usage of a  quality lumbar puncture needle for retrieving the CSF (cerebrospinal) fluid that is used for diagnosis predominantly.

Yes! It is a complicated procedure to perform on an exceedingly small baby but it also happens to be important when the professional is trying to corroborate the diagnosis with facts. A lumbar puncture is definitely the best way to confirm meningitis and encephalitis and even a case of sepsis setting in when the child is in the incubator.

However, it is the enteral applications that are much more common. Most manufacturers use the ENFit compliant tubings at present that negate the possibility of any mix ups thereby saving the neonate from complications and even death. Infants who cannot feed from their mothers or are unable to digest food normally are often fed via the enteral feeding tube in order to ensure adequate nutrition required for their development.

The Enteral tubes are not entirely used for feeding though. Medical professionals also use it to push the essential medication into the GI tract of the child when taking it orally becomes impossible.

Reasons for using an Enteral Tube

• When the child is too small and weak to take food via the mouth! Enteral feeding is considered to be absolutely essential when the concerned baby is unable to consume over 80% of the dietary requirement normally.


• Feeding the baby is unnaturally time consuming taking more than 4 hours for each feed.


• There is a steady decline in weight of the baby despite being fed on time. This is equally applicable to infants who do not gain any weight for 3 months or more


• The skin fold of the triceps is unnaturally sparse leaving no area for injection of medications.


• The amount of serum albumin is less than 3.0/g/dl

Advantages Associated with Enteral Feeding

• Improvement in growth and development of a premature child


• The child obtains adequate nutrition for a time and becomes strong enough to feed naturally within a few months


• The parents and other family members of the infant are happy to find the child getting the right amount of nutrition thereby finding their peace of mind

Regular enteral feeding and /or medication via the tube helps in satisfying the hydration needs of the baby who can also move the bowels and get the necessary medication needed for the treatment .