Example Of A Wic Essay

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutritional Services is one of many federal programs that provides health care and proper nutrition to low income women during the antenatal and postpartum periods. The duty of WIC is to protect the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at an increased risk of nutrition deficiencies by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, and referrals to health care (Better Nutrition, n.d).
Many services are provided through various health clinics, hospitals, schools, community centers, and public housing centers. Most states WIC programs provide vouchers that participants use at approved food stores. Through recent studies during 2008-2013, it is proven that a significant amount of pregnant women do not receive adequate nutrition and health care due to their lack of income (Metallinos-Katsaras, Gorman, Wilde, Kallio, 2011). Socio-economic status is connected to an individual 's chance of survival at birth and during their first year of life. Women from lower socio-economic groups tend to have shorter
The criterion for being eligible for WIC services are generally being 185% below poverty level. WIC clients receive an initial health and diet screening at a WIC clinic to determine nutritional risk, conversely if no risk factors are seen the applicant could easily be denied (Jensen, 2012). WIC uses two main categories of nutritional risk, medically-based risks such as a history of poor pregnancy outcome, underweight status, or iron-deficiency anemia and poor diet. Clients will be counseled at WIC about these risks and the outcome predisposed by nutrition education if they meet the criterion. In some cases the evident deficiencies and lack of proper nutrition are not obvious and many families miss out on the opportunity (Metallinos-Katsaras, Gorman, Wilde, Kallio,