The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, supports the health of low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children by providing access to nutritious foods, nutrition education, and health referrals through state and local agencies across the U.S. The 9-year longitudinal WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices study examined caregiver feeding practices and the health and nutrition outcomes of children from birth to age 9 enrolled in WIC, focusing on the role of WIC services and how participation duration relates to long-term health outcomes. Study results show that household food insecurity declined significantly during participating children’s early years and remained lower at age 9 among families still participating in WIC. Additionally, caregivers reported lasting benefits from WIC nutrition education, leading to healthier food choices and improved home food environments even after their children aged out of the program. Although most children in WIC did not meet all dietary recommendations, their diet quality at age 9 was comparable to or better than national averages for low-income children. Study results suggest that continued efforts are needed to help low-income families adopt and maintain healthier eating habits to improve children’s diet quality and prevent long-term diet-related chronic diseases. Nutrition Policy Institute’s Lorrene Ritchie contributed to the study, which was conducted by Westat and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services.
