Muhlenberg County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program

If you are pregnant, recently had a baby, are breastfeeding, or have a child younger than five years of age, the special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could help you. WIC is a short-term intervention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behavior in high-risk populations. This program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

WIC provides:

Improved Birth Outcomes and Savings in Health Care Costs

Research has shown that the WIC Program has been playing an important role in improving birth outcomes and containing health care costs. A series of reports published by USDA based on linked 1988 WIC and Medicaid data on over 100,000 births found that every dollar spent on prenatal WIC participation for low-income Medicaid women in five states resulted in:

• longer pregnancies
• fewer premature births
• lower incidence of moderately low and very low birth weight infants
• fewer infant deaths
• a greater likelihood of receiving prenatal care
• savings in health care costs from $1.77 to $3.13 within the first 60 days after birth

Improved Diet and Diet-Related Outcomes

Studies have found WIC to have a positive effect on children’s diet and diet-related outcomes such as:

• higher mean intakes of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6, without an            increase in food energy intake, indicating an increase in the nutrient density of the diet
• positive effects on the intakes of ten nutrients without an adverse effect on fat or          cholesterol
• more effective than other cash income or food stamps at improving preschoolers’           intake of key nutrients
• decline in the rate of iron deficiency anemia from 7.8 percent in 1975 to 2.9 percent in 1985 which the Centers for Disease Control           and Prevention attributed to both a general improvement in iron nutrition and participation in WIC and other public nutrition programs.

Improved Infant Feeding Practices

WIC promotes breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding. Studies show:

• WIC breastfeeding policy and program activities were strengthened in the early 1990’s
• Between 1996 and 2001, the percentage of WIC mothers breastfeeding in the hospital increased by almost 25 percent, from 46.6 to        58.2 percent
• The percentage of WIC infants breastfeeding at six months of age increased by 61.2 percent, from 12.9 to 20.8 percent
• For those infants who are fed infant formula, 90 percent received iron-fortified formula, which is recommended for nearly all non-             breastfed infants for the first year of life.

Immunization Rates and Regular Source of Medical Care

A regular schedule of immunizations is recommended for children from birth to two years of age, which coincides with the period in which many low-income children participate in WIC. Studies have found significantly improved rates of childhood immunization and of having a regular source of medical care associated with WIC participation.

Improved Cognitive Development

Cognitive development influences school achievement and behavior. Participation in the WIC Program has been shown to:

• improve vocabulary scores for children of mothers who participated in WIC during            pregnancy 

• significantly improve memory for numbers for children enrolled in WIC after the first         year of life

Improved Preconception Nutritional Status

Preconception nutritional status is an important determinant of birth outcome. A previous pregnancy can cause nutritional depletion of the postpartum woman, particularly those with high parity and short interpregnancy intervals. One study found: • women enrolled in WIC both during pregnancy and postpartum periods delivered infants with higher mean birth weights in a subsequent pregnancy than women who received WIC prenatally only • the women who received postpartum benefits had higher hemoglobin levels and lower risk of maternal obesity at the onset of the subsequent pregnancy

Applying for WIC

You can set up an appointment to apply for WIC by contacting the clinic at 270-754-3200. When you arrive for your appointment, make sure you bring the following items:

• Proof of household income, such as pay stubs, w-2 forms or current medical card, food stamp letter or award letter from Social                Security 
• Proof of residence, such as current bill with your address, bank statement, lease agreement, mortgage agreement, or current medical      card.
• Proof of identity, such as driver’s license, birth certificate, Social Security card, Shot Record and your current medical card. For more         information about the WIC program and its eligibility criteria, please click on the links below or call one of our local health centers.

https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dmch/nsb/Pages/wic.aspx

1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410: or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3.  email: program.intake@usda.gov