Sara Stadem | Editor
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is looking to bring education to the services they offer for those in need, according to WIC Registered Dietitian Susan Gerdes.
WIC has been around for a considerable time, establishing in 1972 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with the first WIC services provided in South Dakota in 1974, Gerdes explained.
According to Gerdes, South Dakota WIC serve in the state in need by offering the following:
Nutrition education to help South Dakotans make healthy eating choices
Breastfeeding education for expectant and new mothers looking to learn more about their infant nutrition options
Referrals to set low-income families up with quality medical care
Food benefits to help budget-constrained families purchase nutritious groceries at nearly 200 participating businesses statewide
With several benefits of WIC, one of the many that Gerdes discussed is how the program assists pregnant mothers. Gerdes said, “WIC has been recognized for its success in improving birth outcomes and WIC’s supplemental food benefits provides vital nutrients for successful pregnancy outcomes.” She continued, “Research has found that WIC participation reduces the risk of infant death within one year of delivery by 33% nationally. Further, diet-related conditions are associated with several risk factors for maternal mortality. With almost 40% of women in the U.S. age 20-39 having obesity, WIC nutrition counseling is a vital intervention to strengthen nutrition outcomes for mothers and children.”
Gerdes also explained that WIC has played a positive role with influencing a mother’s decision to breastfeed. WIC also has a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program that improves breastfeeding initiation and duration rates for low-income women.
The WIC program also assists during post-partum for those in need, according to Gerdes. There are several benefits such as:
Nutrition education to help all families make healthy eating choices.
Breastfeeding education for expectant and new mothers looking to learn more about their infant nutrition options.
Free breast pumps for moms who need to be separated from their babies for things like going back to school or work.
Referrals to set low-income families up with quality medical care.
Food benefits to help budget-constrained families purchase nutritious groceries at nearly 200 participating businesses statewide.
According to Gerdes, they have continued to see the benefits of their program.
In 2020, there was a total of $9.7 million of WIC dollars spent in South Dakota grocery stores. That is almost 10 million dollars of nutritious food for low-income women, infants and children across the state, explained Gerdes. In the summer of 2021, WIC vegetables and fruit benefits were increased to $35/month for women and children. Gerdes also explained they have continued to see an increased rate in breastfeeding from 48% in 1998 to 72.7% in 2018 (based on the USDA WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Report).
Not only has WIC seen their success through stats, WIC staff has seen the benefits in the success stories. One WIC staff member shared, “I had an infant that was failure to thrive who the pediatrician was closely watching. There were concerns regarding protein allergy or reflux. I worked with mom to do weight checks over approximately two weeks until infant’s weight had improved and baby is now doing well on Nutramigen.”
Another WIC staff member shared, “I referred a post-partum mom of three to the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program, who had declined participation in the past. In meeting with the client, discovered the struggle the mom was having with not meeting her personal breastfeeding goal and was embarrassed to have to be supplementing with some formula at times. After providing education and reassurance to the client, the client was very grateful for the information and referral for continued support throughout her breastfeeding journey.”
If someone is in need of assistance, WIC has qualified staff, including Registered Dietitians and Nurses, available to assist with all of the questions and help navigate the WIC program, Gerdes explained.
There are several ways to apply for WIC; through the Client Portal, calling a clinic or submitting an online form. All of the application options can be located at sdwic.org. From there, click on “Apply to WIC” tab and “Start Application.”
According to Gerdes, someone can apply for WIC if you are or have:
Pregnant
Breastfeeding a child under age 1
Delivered a baby within the past 6 months
A child under age 5
Someone must also have a nutritional need, Gerdes further explained, and must meet income guidelines based on family size or be a recipient of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations).
WIC is an equal opportunity provider, according to Gerdes, and encourages those wondering about WIC to check out their website. The website provides information from how to apply, how WIC helps and an interactive directory to find one of the 75 WIC clinic locations and over 200 stores that accept WIC benefits.
Gerdes concluded that if an individual or family is not eligible for WIC, they can still benefit from other resources such as the WIC Library, Strong Families SD, For Baby’s Sake SD and Healthy SD.
For more information, please visit www.sdwic.org.