This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Objective: To evaluate factors associated with iron deficiency, sufficiency and excess. This project, initiated in December 2009, investigates maternal and dietary factors associated with iron deficiency anemia in infancy. One important factor is the amount of the iron in the diet, both for the mother during pregnancy and while lactating and nursing a young infant. Currently, many research facilities, including the WNPRC, use a commercial chow with more iron in it than previously fed to monkeys. Hence there was a compelling reason to compare the hematological status of infant monkeys gestated and reared on this data to preexisting norms. This ongoing study determines an iron panel on infant rhesus monkeys at 6 and 12 months age to evaluate factors associated with iron deficiency, sufficiency and excess. The offspring are from primiparous and multiparous females because younger, first time mothers are at higher risk for generating iron deficient offspring. Previous research has demonstrated that iron deficiency is associated with a number of significant effect on brain development, including on the essential monoamine neurotransmitter pathways. This research used WNRPC Animal Services. PUBLICATION: Coe CL, Lubach GR, Bianco L, Beard JL. A history of iron deficiency anemia during infancy alters brain monoamine activity later in juvenile monkeys. Dev Psychobiol. 2009 Apr;51(3):301-9. PMID: 19194962.