[Iron in nutrition].

Iron deficiency is the main nutritional disease worldwide. The multidisciplinary working group of the French Pediatric Society on iron assessed the following recommendations. Since iron is variably absorbed depending on foods, the group defined absorbed iron requirements instead of dietary iron requirements. Iron-rich foods should be introduced at 4-months of age in some breast-fed infants. Between 7 and 11 month-old, formula-fed infants should drink at least 700ml per day of follow-on formula and partially or totally breast-fed infants should receive oral iron supplementation. Between 1 and 6 year-old, children should drink at least 300ml per day of growing-up milk until they become able to consume 100 to 150 grams per day of meat products. From 7 year-old, consumption of 2 portions per day of meat products is necessary in order to achieve daily iron requirements. Oral iron therapy from either increased iron-rich foods consumption or iron salts preparations is indicated when absorbed iron requirements are not achieved or when ferritin concentration is lower than age-specific limit values.