Wic Program Essay - 1025 Words

A Summary of the Woman, Infants, Children Nutritional Services Program Margaret Russell Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Services is a federal program that provides health care and proper nutrition to low income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women during a crucial time for both mothers and babies. The mission of WIC is to â€Å"safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.† (Food and Nutrition Service, 2010). Services are provided through various health clinics, hospitals, schools, community centers, and public housing centers. In the United†¦show more content†¦(Shepherd, 2008). According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (2010), a main component of the WIC program focuses on maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Eligible mothers in the WIC program undergo an initial nutritional screening to allow for early detection of deficiencies and risks that later contribute to poor growth and health in infants. (New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 2010). Participants are provided with nutritionists and counselors to develop a plan to eliminate any risks to the health of the mother and child. WIC also promotes a healthy lifestyle to prevent complications and disease during pregnancy and birth. Low maternal weight and poor weight gain in pregnancy have also been shown to add to the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and failure to initi ate breast-feeding . Lack of proper nutrition during pregnancy can cause potential health problems for the child later in life, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. (Shepherd, 2008). According to Anne Ross, babies born to mothers with nutritionally-deficient diets are more likely to suffer from impaired brain development, low birth weight, and higher risk of disease development especially during early childhood. (2003). The WIC program allows for women to be referred to many public services including home care and social workers. WIC collaborates with various nutritional programs such as the Office of Nutrition and Fitness,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Breastfeeding and The WIC Program1182 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children also known as WIC supplies almost fifty percent of the infant formula used in the US at no charge to the families. This has raised a red flag for concern because it is well-known that feeding with infant formula results in poorer health outcomes for infants than breastfeeding. 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The program aims to assist the individuals by providing foods with nutritional value in addition to their normal diet, also giving information about healthy eating including breastfeeding, and the program also gives referrals to healthcareRead MoreThe Women Infant and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program1274 Words   |  5 PagesThe Women Infant and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program is a supplemental food and nutrition program for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and children under age five who have a nutriThe Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Nutritional Program’s primary goals are to provide supplemental food and nutrition to women of a lower income who are pregnant , breastfeeding, and postpartum and children under age 5. 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Others view WIC as an easy way out to a difficult time. WIC has a lot of history, there are advantages, disadvantages, how it’s administers, statistics, the risk, and their positions on WIC. WIC had been around since the 70’s and even then was very much about the healthRead MoreThe Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women890 Words   |  4 Pages The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was started in 1972, and was permanently established in 1974 by the USDA (WIC Fact Sheet, 2015; Brown, 2011). WIC was established to safeguard the health of women, infants, and children up to age five who are low income and at nutritional risk; their mission is carried out by means of supplementing diets by providing access to nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding education, breastfeeding promotion, breastfeedingRead MoreNotes On Fruit And Vegetable Purchase Data Obtained1153 Words   |  5 PagesCheyenne Smith Fall Midterm A. 1. Who were the study participants and how was fruit and vegetable purchase data obtained? Participants in the study were low-income families that participate in WIC. Families using WIC shopped at grocery chain stores in Connecticut or Massachusetts in January 2009-September 2010. 2. Summarize the major changes detected in food purchasing patterns during the study period. On average, a household spent $235 a month for groceries in 2009. Within this amount, 4.6% of