Functional testing
Measuring what your child is actually running on
Nutritional testing measures your child's nutrient status directly, through pathology: iron studies, zinc, B12, vitamin D, folate and more where indicated. It suits fussy or restrictive eaters, children with fatigue or poor concentration, and any family wanting a suspected gap confirmed before supplements are chosen. It is the most conventional of our 5 pathways, and the discipline lies in how the results are interpreted: in clinical context, against your child's diet, growth and symptoms.
What it measures
The markers, in plain language
The core panel is familiar pathology, chosen to the question at hand: iron studies (including ferritin, the storage measure that drives so much fatigue and concentration trouble in children), zinc (appetite, skin, immune function), B12 and folate (energy and nervous system), vitamin D (immune and bone health), and where the history points to it, markers like magnesium or a broader screen. Most of it is a standard blood draw at a collection centre near you.
What it can and can't tell you
A blood result is honest but narrow. It can confirm or rule out a measurable gap, catch a deficiency that explains a symptom everyone had attributed to behaviour, and give a baseline to measure change against. It can'texplain everything: reference ranges are built from broad populations, so a child can sit “within range” and still warrant a closer look at the trend, their diet and their symptoms together. The reverse holds too: a single low-ish number does not automatically explain your child's behaviour, and treating every result as the answer is how children end up on 8 supplements with no plan. Interpretation is the product; the numbers are ingredients.
When we recommend it
Nutritional testing earns its place when intake or absorption is genuinely in question: long-running fussy eating or a restricted diet (vegetarian, dairy-free, sensory-limited), fatigue, pallor or poor concentration, recovery that seems slower than it should be, or before any meaningful supplement decision. If your GP has recent results that answer the question, we use those instead of re-ordering.
How it works at ReMed
It starts with the consultation, where we map your child's diet and history and review any existing pathology. If testing is indicated, the exact cost is quoted first: some markers are inexpensive standard pathology, others are privately billed functional panels, and labs differ, so we never publish a flat price. Collection happens at a centre near you (telehealth families included, Australia-wide), and results come back to a consultation, online or in clinic, where they are translated into a food-first plan. Consultation fees are on the fees page.
Suspect something is missing from the tank?
Bring your child's story and any past results. We'll work out together whether measuring is the next sensible step.
Nutritional testing: questions parents ask
Honestly and minimally. We only order what the clinical picture justifies, group markers into as few draws as possible, and the draw itself happens at a pathology collection centre near you, where staff handle anxious kids every day. For some questions a non-blood option exists and we will say so.
Often, yes, and that is the first thing we check. Bring any existing results to your consultation: we review what has already been measured before adding anything. Where a marker sits outside our scope or needs medical follow-up, we refer you straight back to your GP.
No. The point of testing is the opposite: to replace guesswork supplementing with targeted decisions. Food comes first where it can do the job, any supplement is matched to a measured need, and the plan is reviewed as your child responds.
Only when the result would change a decision, for example confirming that a measured deficiency has actually corrected before stopping support. We will tell you the review point when the plan is set, so retesting never drifts into routine.
Yes. The paperwork for any pathology is arranged for collection near you, anywhere in Australia, and results are explained in an online consultation just as they would be in the clinic room.
Where this pathway leads