WIC

How does WIC make a difference?

Benefits of WIC

Benefits to Children

  • When children are participants of the WIC Program, there are higher rates of immunizations against childhood diseases
  • Four and five year olds who participated in WIC in early childhood have better vocabularies and digit memory scores than comparable children who did not participate in WIC.
  • Participating in WIC lowers the rate of anemia among children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years.
  • Children’s dietary intake of vitamins and nutrients such as iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamine, protein, niacin and vitamin B6 are significantly improved by participating in the WIC Program.

Benefits to Women & Infants

  • WIC participation significantly increases the number of women receiving adequate prenatal care.
  • By participating in WIC, the infant mortality among Medicaid beneficiaries is dramatically lowered.
  • WIC improves weight gain and dietary intake in pregnant women and also improves the dietary intake in postpartum women.
  • Low birth weight and pre-term births are decreased by participating in the WIC Program.

Reference: Michigan Department of Community Health