[Epidemiology of iron deficiency]

During the last years, a large number of surveys have suggested than some fractions of the French population, as in other industrialized countries, presented dietary iron intake below the recommended dietary allowances. Iron deficiency is widespread in children, menstruating women, and particularly pregnant women. Iron deficiency is enough severe to be responsible of anemia in some groups of population. Aside the classical risk of anemia (with its well-known consequences on health), the effects of iron deficiency by itself, taking into consideration the role of iron in numerous metabolic functions, needs to be more documented to assess the potential deleterious consequences upon health.