The child is positioned near the edge of the examining table. The assistant places one arm around the posterior aspect of the child's neck and the other arm under the child's knees to hold the child in optimal position. The child's hips and shoulders should be kept perpendicular to the table in order to maintain spinal alignment without rotation. The assistant can maintain adequate restraint by holding onto his or her own wrists.
Adapted from Cronan, KM, Wiley, JF. Lumbar puncture. In: Henretig, FM, King, C, (Eds), Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Procedures, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1997.
