Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is one of the important indicators to measure renal function status. It is used in the clinical diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its staging, selection of kidney transplant donors, setting of endpoint events in scientific research, etc. It is also an indispensable index in the fields of cancer treatment monitoring, clinical drug dose adjustment in ICU critical care treatment, drug toxicity monitoring and new drug development. GFR in children can be assessed by both estimation and detection. The estimation method has clinical practicability. The current equations used for eGFR in children are ethnically and geographically specific, and their accuracy is influenced by the population of the developed dataset. Schwartz 1987 version is widely used in China. It should be noted that this method is a colorimetric method for creatinine determination. Schwartz 2009 equation is also widely used, but its accuracy (P₃₀) in Chinese children with CKD is low, which is less than 80%. New estimating equations from large samples of Chinese children are urgently needed. In cases where accurate GFR is required, the method of measuring GFR is used. This paper introduces the advantages, disadvantages and application status of indicators used to estimate and measure GFR in pediatrics.