The authors present the results of haematologic studies carried out in 100 children living in an orfhanage in Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara State; 96 children presented the typical blood picture of anemia, 79% of them of the microcitic type, 2% macrocitic e 15% normocromic; in most of the cases serum total protein ivas telow 6,5 g%; the sedimentation rate was increased in 45 children. In 38 children white cells ranged from 10.000 to 20.000 per mm3; eosinophilia was jrequent (89%), in 44% of them eosinophil countings were 11 to 20% and in 15% were 21 to 50% and always related to the presence of intestinal nematodes, specially Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms.