Association of Remote vs In-Person Benefit Delivery With WIC Participation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Few studies examined the impact of maternal socioeconomic status and of its combined effects with environmental exposures on birthweight. Our goal was to examine the impact of maternal homelessness (mothers ever homeless or who lived in shelters during pregnancy) and participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) during pregnancy in conjunction with air pollution exposure on birthweight in the Boston-based Children’s HealthWatch cohort from 2007 through 2015 (n = 3366). Birthweight was obtained from electronic health records. Information on maternal homelessness and WIC participation during pregnancy were provided via a questionnaire. Prenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures, estimated at the subject’s residential address, were calculated for each trimester. We fit linear regression models adjusting for maternal and child characteristics, seasonality, and block-group-level median household income and examined the interactions between PM2.5 and each covariate. Prenatal maternal homelessness was associated with reduced birthweight (−55.7 g, 95% CI: −97.8 g, −13.7 g), while participating in WIC was marginally associated with increased birthweight (36.1 g, 95% CI: −7.3 g, 79.4 g). Only average PM2.5 during the second trimester was marginally associated with reduced birthweight (−8.5 g, 95% CI: −19.3, 2.3) for a 1 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5. The association of PM2.5 during the second trimester with reduced birthweight was stronger among non-Hispanic Black mothers and trended toward significance among immigrants and single mothers. Our study emphasizes the independent and synergistic effects of social and environmental stressors on birthweight, particularly the potentially protective effect of participating in WIC for vulnerable populations.

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Association of WIC Participation and Growth and Developmental Outcomes in High-Risk Infants

Clinical Pediatrics ◽

10.1177/0009922819884583 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 53-61

Author(s):

Ashwini Lakshmanan ◽

Ashley Y. Song ◽

Nicole Flores-Fenlon ◽

Urvashi Parti ◽

Douglas L. Vanderbilt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽

Supplemental Nutrition ◽

Assistance Program ◽

Wic Participation ◽

Z Scores ◽

Supplemental Nutrition Program ◽

Nutrition Assistance ◽

High Risk Infants ◽

Bayley Scales

The objective of this study was to describe the association of enrollment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and infant growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Z scores and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development–Third Edition (Bayley-III) and Vineland Adaptive/Behavior Scale–II (VABS-II) scores represented primary outcomes. We conducted bivariate analyses and linear regression. Children who were enrolled in WIC or WIC/SNAP had weight z scores U (95% confidence interval [CI]) that were 1.32 (0.42-2.21) or 1.19 (0.16-2.23) units higher. Enrollment in WIC or WIC/SNAP was associated with a higher score (95% CI) of 11.7 U (1.2-22.2 U) or 11.5 (0.1-22.9) for Bayley-III cognitive score and 10.1 U (1.9-19.1 U) or 10.3 (0.9-19.7) for the VABS-II composite score. These findings support increased advocacy for participation in WIC or WIC/SNAP for families with high-risk infants.

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WIC Participation and Breastfeeding after the 2009 WIC Revision: A Propensity Score Approach

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16152645 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (15) ◽

pp. 2645 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Li ◽

Wen ◽

Reynolds ◽

Zhang

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Causal Effect ◽

Nutrition Examination Survey ◽

Birth Cohorts ◽

Average Effect ◽

Health And Nutrition ◽

Wic Participation ◽

Before And After ◽

Supplemental Nutrition Program

In this study, we examined the association between participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and breastfeeding outcomes before and after the 2009 revisions. Four-thousand-three-hundred-and-eight WIC-eligible children younger than 60 months were included from the 2005–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We compared two birth cohorts with regard to their associations between WIC participation and being ever-breastfed and breastfed at 6 months. We estimated the average effect of the treatment for the treated to assess the causal effect of WIC participation on breastfeeding based on propensity score matching. The results showed that WIC-eligible participating children born between 2000 and 2008 were significantly less likely than WIC-eligible nonparticipating children to ever receive breastfeeding (p < 0.05) or to be breastfed at 6 months (p < 0.05). Among children born between 2009 and 2014, WIC-eligible participating children were no longer less likely to ever receive breastfeeding compared to WIC-eligible nonparticipating children; the gap remained in breastfeeding at 6-months (p < 0.05). The disparities in prevalence of ever breastfed between WIC-eligible participants and nonparticipants have been eliminated since the 2009 WIC revision. More efforts are needed to improve breastfeeding persistence among WIC-participating mother–infant dyads.

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The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is Associated with Several Changes in Nutrient Intakes and Food Consumption Patterns of Participating Infants and Young Children, 2008 Compared with 2016

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1093/jn/nxaa265 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 150 (11) ◽

pp. 2985-2993

Author(s):

Joanne F Guthrie ◽

Andrea S Anater ◽

Joel C Hampton ◽

Diane J Catellier ◽

Alison L Eldridge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saturated Fat ◽

Food Group ◽

Infants And Children ◽

Baby Food ◽

Food Groups ◽

Supplemental Nutrition ◽

Nutrition Program ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wic Participation ◽

Supplemental Nutrition Program

ABSTRACT Background In 2009 the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) updated the food packages provided to participants. Objectives This study investigates associations between WIC participation and nutrients and food groups consumed using data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study's 2008 and 2016 nationwide, cross-sectional surveys of children <4 y, weighted to be representative of the US population. Methods The study data included 2892 children aged 6–47.9 mo in 2008 and 2635 in 2016. Differences were analyzed by WIC participation, survey year, and child age (infants 6–11.9 mo old, toddlers 12–23.9 mo old, preschoolers 24–47.9 mo old). Usual nutrient intake distributions were estimated using National Cancer Institute methodology. Daily food group consumption differences were tested via multivariate regression. All analyses controlled for income. Results In 2016 18.6% of infants had iron intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR), compared to 7.6% in 2008; 87% of WIC infants met the EAR, compared with 69% of non-WIC infants. In 2016 37% of WIC preschoolers met saturated fat guidelines, compared with 25% in 2008; in both years, fewer than one-third of non-WIC preschoolers met the guidelines. More WIC infants than non-WIC infants consumed infant cereals in 2016 (58% compared with 45%, respectively). More WIC infants ate vegetables daily in 2016 than in 2008 (74% compared with 59%, respectively). In 2016, as compared with 2008, more WIC infants consumed baby-food vegetables (55% compared with 29%, respectively) and fruits (56% compared with 41%, respectively). In 2016 47% of WIC preschoolers drank low-fat milk, compared with 19% of non-WIC preschoolers. Conclusions Infant iron intakes are concerning, although more WIC infants meet the EAR. WIC infants’ vegetable intakes have improved; baby-food vegetables have become important contributors to their intakes. In 2016 WIC children were more likely than non-WIC children to shift to lower-fat milks at 2 y of age, likely contributing to lower saturated fat intakes.

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