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Objective: To assess the nutritional status and dietary practices of 0-24-month-old children living in Brazilian Amazonia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Information on children's dietary intakes was obtained from diet history data. Weight and length were measured for anthropometric evaluation. Fe status was assessed using fasting venous blood samples; Hb, serum ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor concentrations were measured. Setting: The towns of Assis Brasil and Acrelândia in the state of Acre, north-west Brazil. Subjects: A total of sixty-nine randomly selected 0-24-month-old children. Results: Of these children, 40·3% were anaemic, 63·1% were Fe-deficient, 28·1% had Fe-deficiency anaemia and 11·6% were stunted. Breast-feeding was initiated by 97·1% of mothers, followed by early feeding with complementary foods. The dietary pattern reflected a high intake of carbohydrate-rich foods and cow's milk, with irregular intakes of fruit, vegetables and meat. All infants and 92·3% of toddlers were at risk of inadequate Fe intakes. Fe from animal foods contributed on average 0·5% and 14·3% to total dietary Fe intake among infants and toddlers, respectively. Conclusions: Poor nutritional status and inadequate feeding practices in this study population reinforce the importance of exclusive breast-feeding during the first 6 months of life. Greater emphasis is required to improve the bioavailability of dietary Fe during complementary feeding practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]