Final answer:
The most common laboratory studies to assess undernutrition in children are hemoglobin, red blood cell indices, and serum albumin or prealbumin levels. These tests provide insight into anemia and protein nutritional status, which are key in evaluating the extent of undernutrition. Tests such as liver enzymes, lipids, and glucose levels are less specific for this assessment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common laboratory studies to assess children for undernutrition include hemoglobin, red blood cell indices, and serum albumin or prealbumin. These tests are essential for the evaluation of nutritional status and the presence of anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia, which is prevalent among children.
Hemoglobin levels between 5 to 9 g/100 ml of blood can indicate severe anemia, suggesting undernutrition. Additionally, red blood cell indices provide information on the size and hemoglobin content of red blood cells, which are affected in nutritional deficiencies. Serum albumin and prealbumin are markers of protein status, critical in assessing the severity of undernutrition.
While other tests such as liver enzymes, lipids, and fasting serum glucose can also be informative in specific contexts or for ruling out other conditions, they are not the primary indicators used for the direct assessment of undernutrition in children.
For instance, liver enzymes are useful in detecting liver dysfunction, which could be secondary to undernutrition but do not directly measure nutritional deficiencies. Lipid profiles and fasting serum glucose levels are also less specific to nutritional status. Therefore, inclusion of hemoglobin, red blood cell indices, and serum proteins such as albumin or prealbumin is most commonly indicated when investigating undernutrition in pediatric cases.