Introduction
Efforts to improve the health status of pregnant women
and their young children through nutritional supplementation
and education have long been a part of public health
programs in the United States. The Special Supplemental
Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC),
established in 1972, is the largest and most specifically
targeted public health nutrition program in the United States
today. The WIC program is designed to reach high-risk
pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children up to 5
years of age with supplemental foods and nutrition education,
as an adjunct to good health care.'
WIC is the first federal nutrition program to use identifiable
nutritional risk, in addition to low income, as a criterion
for eligibility. Since its inception, WIC has grown to provide
benefits to 2.9 million persons monthly, at a cost of $1.36
billion in fiscal year 1983. An estimated 500,000 pregnant
women now participate in the WIC program.
Eligible participants receive a monthly set of food
vouchers redeemable at local grocers for specific foods
tailored to individual needs. Allowable foods include: milk,
cheese, iron-fortified cereal, 100% fruit juices, eggs, dried
beans, peanut butter, and iron-fortified formula for infants.
The cost of the food package is approximately $30 per
month, provided at no cost to the participants. Nutrition
education is also provided. A more complete description of
the WIC program appears elsewhere.2