Sensitivity analysis excluding COVID-19 cases (<i>n</i> = 12) showed no substantial change in model performance (AUC = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77∼0.89).<h4>Conclusion</h4>The XGBoost-based model effectively identifies high-risk children with pneumonia, with PCT, CRP, and respiratory rate as key predictors. Here, CRP is linked to pneumonia.