Research shows that special supplemental nutrition programs, arranged for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), have proven to be a successful and cost-effective investment. WIC programs have been one of the most successful federally-funded nutrition programs since 1974 across the country. These programs have saved lives and even improved the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children to a great extent.
By providing nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care and social services to low-income families, WIC programs play a significant role in improving women, their infants, and young children.
Amityville NY WIC programs also do the same for community benefits.
Going through the below-mentioned points will help you know the importance of WIC programs.
Increased birth rates and savings in health care costs
WIC programs have been playing an essential role in improving birth rates and savings in health care costs.
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Recherches has shown that women who participated in WIC programs have given birth to much healthier babies than those who haven’t. A series of reports published by USDA, based on the data of the WIC program conducted in 1974 and Medicaid data on 1,00,000 births, shows that every dollar spent on prenatal WIC participation has resulted in:
- More prolonged pregnancies
- Less premature births
- lower incidence of moderately low and deficient birth-weight infants,
- More sporadic infant deaths
- Decrease in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first two months after birth
Improvement in diet and diet-related outcomes
Researchers have found WIC programs has left a positive impact on children’s diet and diet-related results such as:
- higher intakes of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, and vitamin B6, and more without increasing the food energy intake, showing an improvement in the nutrient density of the diet
- a decline in the rate of iron deficiency resulting in anaemia
- positive effects on the intake of nutrients without an adverse effect on fat or cholesterol
- more productive than other cash income or SNAP benefits at improving toddlers’ intake of critical nutrients
Improved immunization rates and regular sources of medical care
A consistent schedule of immunizations is prescribed for children from birth to 2 years of age, which helps them fight against some harmful diseases.
The schedule duration matches with the period during which many low-income children participate in WIC programs. As a result, regular sources of medical care are readily available for them.
This leads the studies to show a significant improvement in immunization rates amidst participation in WIC programs.
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Improved cognitive development and preconception nutritional status
Cognitive development impacts a child’s behaviour and performance in school. Studies have shown that children whose mothers participated in the WIC program have much better vocabulary and improved memory for numbers. This helps them to develop and cope with the fast-evolving world to a great extent.
One of the most important determinants of birth outcomes is preconception nutritional status. Previous pregnancy can lead to nutritional depletion during the postpartum period.
However, studies show that receiving post-partum benefits, as Amityville NY WIC programs provide, can help maintain the required haemoglobin level and even lower the maternal obesity risk onset of the subsequent pregnancy.
Conclusion
Apart from reducing fetal deaths and infant mortality, participation in WIC programs has shown excellent positive results in the overall health of mothers, their infants, and young children. So, participation in Amityville NY WIC, like programs, is essential for improving the health of nutritionally at-risk low-income women, infants, and children.
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Shrey Jain is the Co-Founder of Writofy & a Chartered Accountant who works with a team of creative content writers. He holds a forte in creating informative content on niches like crypto, business, fintech, digital marketing, and several others. In addition, his willingness to learn and share his knowledge can immensely help readers get valuable insights on varied topics.
