20 YEARS OF WIC - A REVIEW OF SOME EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Chi ldren (WIC) began in 1974 after a 2-year pilot program. WIC links food assistance and nutrition education to health care for at-risk persons . The program had approximately 344,000 participants in 1975 and has g rown to provide services to nearly 6 million participants. Infants bor n to women who participate in WIC during pregnancy tend to have a slig htly higher mean birth weight than those born to women who were eligib le but did not participate in WIG. Higher birth weight has been associ ated with a slightly higher mean gestational age. The prevalence of lo w birth weight and very low birth weight among infants and the prevale nce of iron deficiency anemia among toddlers and preschool children is lower for those participating in WIC than for those not participating in WIC.