[Nutritional anemias of iron deficiency origin: etiological approach, means of control adapted to Vietnam].

Among nutritional anaemias caused by the lack of erythropoietic nutriments, iron deficiency is the most frequent. In developing countries, it mainly comes from supply deficiencies. It can also be due to multiple and successive pregnancies, to pathological iron loss, to absorption defects. The study of the iron content of the main kinds of nutriments available in Vietnam and of their absorbability allows nutritionists to give useful advice to the population. Other means (use of drugs, foodstuffs enrichment) together with nutritional and health education are essential to fight efficiently against this major nutritional disease.