What Tests a Child Needs: the Basic List by Age and Occasion
Reviewed by the LabReadAI medical team
Children need lab tests in two situations: routinely — at scheduled check-ups and for kindergarten, school, camp or pool certificates — and on demand, when something is wrong. In both cases the list is shorter than parents expect: the base is three tests, and "testing for everything" is never the right approach for a child. Below: what the base includes, what gets added by age and occasion, and how to prepare a child so nothing has to be re-taken.
When a child is due for tests at all
Routine paediatric check-ups in Russia follow Ministry of Health order No. 514n. Under it, a complete blood count and a urinalysis are due as early as age 1, and then at set age points: before kindergarten, before school and in adolescence. These are free under public insurance at your clinic.
Outside those points, a healthy child with no complaints does not need "preventive" blood draws every six months: a reasonable rhythm is once a year alongside the paediatrician's check-up, or whenever there is a specific reason.
The basic set: three tests
| Test | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Complete blood count | Anaemia, inflammation, the immune system — childhood's main screening test |
| Urinalysis | Kidneys and urinary tract — children's urinary infections often run silently |
| Blood glucose | Sugar metabolism — a rare but important early signal of type 1 diabetes |
This trio is enough for routine monitoring of a healthy child. Everything else is added deliberately — by age, occasion or complaint.
What is added by age
- Under 1 year. Blood and urine at 1 month and 1 year per the schedule; the paediatrician may separately order bilirubin for prolonged newborn jaundice.
- Ages 1–3. The base (CBC + urinalysis), plus — before kindergarten enrolment — a stool test for helminth eggs and a pinworm swab: certificates for organised childcare are not issued without them.
- Before school (6–7). CBC, urinalysis and glucose as part of the big order-514n check-up.
- Teenagers. Ferritin is added when indicated (rapid growth, and menstruation in girls, are the most common causes of iron deficiency) and TSH for fatigue, sleepiness or weight problems.
What is added by occasion
- Kindergarten, school, a certificate after illness — stool for helminth eggs and a pinworm swab. The same tests are needed for camp and for the pool — each certificate has its own validity window, usually 10 days to 3 months.
- Gets sick often. Contrary to expectations, an "immunity test" is not the first step. Start with the CBC, ferritin and vitamin D: hidden iron and vitamin D deficiency are the most common findings in frequently ill children.
- Pale, listless, tires quickly. CBC + ferritin: iron deficiency is childhood's most common deficiency state, and it develops long before anaemia shows on the form.
- Poor weight or height gain. The base + TSH; the further route is set by the paediatrician or endocrinologist. Compare height and weight against age norms in the growth calculator.
How to prepare a child for a blood draw
Half of "bad" paediatric results are not disease but broken preparation. The rules are simple:
- Fasting — adjusted for age. A schoolchild needs 8–10 hours without food (book a morning slot). For ages 1–5 a light 3–4 hour gap is acceptable — paediatric labs know this. Infants are fed on schedule, with blood taken right before the next feed.
- Water is allowed and encouraged — plain, unsweetened. It does not distort results and makes venous sampling easier.
- The day before — no high-intensity sports and no new foods in the diet.
- On the morning — juice, tea or breakfast already break the fast.
- Emotions count too. Crying and fear can physiologically raise white cells and glucose. Explain the procedure in advance, bring a favourite toy — a calm child gives a "cleaner" sample.
When not to wait for the schedule
Some situations call for tests now, together with a doctor's visit, not at the next routine point:
- fever above 38 °C for more than three days without a clear cause;
- paleness with listlessness, shortness of breath or a racing heart;
- bruises without bumps, frequent nosebleeds;
- pain on urination or a change in urine colour;
- noticeable weight loss with thirst and frequent urination — check glucose urgently.
In these cases the doctor comes first, then tests as ordered — not the other way round.
Children's norms are not adult norms
Paediatric reference intervals are their own and change with age: a one-year-old's haemoglobin and a teenager's are different norms, and a toddler's white-cell formula looks "inverted" by adult standards while being perfectly normal. Never compare a child's form against adult references — more in the guide to children's blood test norms.
The short version
The base for a child is a CBC, urinalysis and glucose; before kindergarten, school, camp or pool it is extended with helminth-egg and pinworm tests; for fatigue and frequent illness — ferritin and vitamin D. The exact list for your child is the paediatrician's call, and once the results are in, you can upload the form for decoding — the service explains every value against your lab's paediatric references.
For informational purposes only
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical guidance.