Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study 2: Second Year Report (Summary)

The USDA emphasizes maternal and child health as part of their work on nutrition assistance for low-income households, and this second-year report evaluates the efficacy of their initiatives on feeding practices and child health outcomes. The study used a mixed methods approach to gather data from mothers participating in the WIC Supplemental Nutrition Program about child diets and postnatal measurements. They found that WIC helps children consume regular meals and meet most of their recommended daily nutrient intakes, although working mothers are less likely to breastfeed for long periods of time. Also, only about 1% of babies receiving WIC assistance had low weight-for-length measurements, while about 23% had higher than healthy measurements.