Iron profile of 72 severely malnourished children of whom 36 children had acute respiratory infection and 36 without infection of 12-59 months of age was compared with 36 normal healthy children. Mean serum iron level in non-infected severely malnourished children was (35.91+/-0.70 microg/dl) significant lower level than normal healthy children (63.50+/-0.97 microg/dl) (p<0.001). On the other hand non-infected group had significant higher level than acute respiratory infection group (31.90+/-1.35 microg/dl) (p<0.05). In acute respiratory infection group of severely malnourished children, mean serum ferritin level (19.48+/-1.71 ng/ml) had significant higher level than non-infected malnourished children (7.02+/-0.30 ng/ml) (p<0.001). Mean serum total iron binding capacity level was reduced in severely malnourished children both in non-infected (230.00+/-1.16 microg/dl) and infected (224.64+/-3.05 microg/dl) than normal healthy children (330.86+/-2.43 microg/dl) (p<0.001). There was significant reduction of mean serum transferrin saturation level in non-infected (15.65%) and acute respiratory infection (14.53%) group of malnourished children than normal children (19.35%). It is concluded that acute respiratory infection influenced the reduction of mean serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transferring saturation level. But mean serum ferritin concentration was elevated in acute respiratory infection group as probably as acute phase protein but still lower than normal children.