Abstract

Pediatric laboratory medicine plays an essential role in the early detection, diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prevention of a wide range of diseases in children. It encompasses hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, immunology, and molecular diagnostics, each tailored to the unique physiological parameters of pediatric patients. This article reviews current practices, age-specific reference intervals, challenges in pediatric sample collection, and the integration of emerging technologies such as point-of-care testing and genomic diagnostics. It also discusses the importance of laboratory medicine in neonatal screening, infectious disease surveillance, metabolic monitoring, and cancer diagnostics.