80 International Journal of Child Health and Nutrition, 2022, 11, 80-97 E-ISSN: 1929-4247/22 Measurement Tools of Pediatric Nutrition and Health Suitable or Adaptable for Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Field Research Settings Venus S. Kalami 1,2,* , Laurie C. Miller 1 , Lynne Ausman 1 and Beatrice Rogers 1 1 Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA 2 Stanford Children’s Health, Palo Alto, CA, USA Abstract: Background: Micronutrient status, body composition, gastrointestinal (GI) functioning, and neurological functioning are important facets of pediatric nutrition and health. When studied in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), information about these elements is usually obtained via standardized surveys and traditional anthropometry. While convenient, these evaluations offer limited information that may be prone to error and bias. However, a variety of underutilized objective measurement tools exist which can promote a more objective, comprehensive, and deeper understanding of these aspects of pediatric nutrition and health in LMIC. Objective: Identify field-friendly, relatively low-cost, and portable tools that provide objective measurements of micronutrient status, body composition, GI functioning, and neurological functioning in young children. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted to assess the state-of-the-art field-friendly research tools targeting micronutrient status, body composition, GI functioning, and neurological functioning in children in LMIC. Results: A number of field-friendly tools addressing the domains of micronutrient status, GI health, body composition, and neurological functioning were identified. While many tools remain to be fully validated, these tools have yet to be used to their full potential in field-based pediatric nutrition and health research in LMICs. Conclusions: More robust, field-friendly assessment methods will help to refine knowledge on the state of pediatric health of vulnerable children in LMIC. Such awareness could contribute to the design of interventions, programs and policies, and further research. Keywords: Pediatrics, field research, low- and middle-income countries, nutrition and body composition, gastrointestinal disease, neurodevelopment. HIGHLIGHTS This literature review describes pediatric nutrition and health measurement tools for field research in LMIC, focusing on measurements of micronutrient status, body composition, GI health, and neurological functioning. This review is directed toward field researchers to expand their awareness of available tools to measure important aspects of pediatric health. INTRODUCTION Outside of research that focuses on particular disease entities, much field research addressing general child health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is limited to inquiries about common conditions, such as stunting and wasting, respiratory illness, diarrhea, and fever. These conditions provide an important yet incomplete picture of pediatric health as many health domains remain inadequately assessed in field research. Micronutrient status, body composition, gastrointestinal (GI), and neurological functioning are areas of particular relevance given the *Address correspondence to this author at 101 West Rincon Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008, USA; Tel: (408) 892-6988; E-mail: Vkalami@gmail.com rapid changes in growth and development in young children, yet they are inadequately assessed in field research. One reason for this gap in research is the perception that these important conditions are difficult or expensive to measure under the field conditions encountered in LMICs. However, many tools have been developed in recent years that can be applied to assess a wide variety of important health measures. This literature seeks to bring awareness to various field-friendly tools for pediatric health across the domains of micronutrient status, body composition, GI health, and neurological functioning There is a unique and multidirectional interplay between the domains of micronutrient status, body composition, and GI and neurological functioning. For example, suboptimal GI functioning can hinder micronutrient status, as well as desirable body composition measures. Poor micronutrient status can also impact neurological development and functioning during the crucial early years of a child’s development. This paper describes currently available and emerging approaches to the measurement of these domains, with the goal of increasing awareness and expanding their use. Expanding the analysis of child health by using these novel tools would help address current