Iron and selenium are trace elements necessary for the maintenance of life and health. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency among children in the world. The purpose of this study was to evaluate plasma selenium concentrations in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Plasma selenium levels were investigated in 56 children with IDA and in 48 control subjects aged 1-8 years. A spectrofluorometric method was used for the determination. Plasma selenium concentrations in children with IDA (33.6+/-8.2 microg/l) were significantly lower than in the control group (56.0+/-17.0 microg/l) (p<0.001). However, there was no relation between plasma selenium, iron and hemoglobin concentrations.