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Water Intoxication and Women, Infants, and Children Program-Reply

Water Intoxication and Women, Infants, and Children Program-Reply Abstract In Reply.—Discussions of WIC often ignore the original 1972 legislation and its extensions: there are three related but different programs. Prenatal supplementation is credited with prolonging gestation, increasing birth weights, and enhancing infants' cognitive skills. Although one third of all births are covered, these laudable goals have not been reached and our worst pediatric problem, very low birth weight and its consequences, causes ever more human suffering and enormous costs among the population groups that WIC is supposed to reach.1 Either the program is poorly targeted or the problem is not nutritional, or both. Although it does no harm and may help a small minority of truly undernourished pregnant women, it continues to divert much attention and considerable resources away from the research needed and the preventive, mostly educational, programs that can do something effective.2 For children younger than age 5 years WIC provides a generous dietary supplement: few References 1. Hughes D, Johnson K, Rosenbaum S, Liu J, eds. The Health of America's Children, Maternal and Child Health Data Book 1989 . Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund; 1989:92. 2. McLaughlin FJ, Altemeier WA, Christensen MJ, Sherrod KB, Dietrich MS, Stern DT. Randomized trial of comprehensive prenatal care for low-income women: effect on infant birth weight . Pediatrics . 1992;89:128-132. 3. Center for Disease Control. CDC Analysis of Nutritional Indices for Selected WIC Participants . Atlanta, Ga: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, CDC Nutrition Section; 1978:8. 4. MacGowan RJ, MacGowan CA, Serdula MK, Lane JM, Joesoef RM, Cook FH. Breast-feeding among women attending Women, Infants, and Children clinics in Georgia, 1987 . Pediatrics . 1991;87:361-366. 5. Ryan AS, Rush D, Krieger FW, Lewandowski GE. Recent declines in breast-feeding in the United States, 1984 through 1989 . Pediatrics . 1991;88:719-727. 6. Keating JP, Schears GH, Dodge PR. Oral water intoxication in infants: an American epidemic . AJDC . 1991;145:985-990. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Diseases of Children American Medical Association

Water Intoxication and Women, Infants, and Children Program-Reply

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Water Intoxication and Women, Infants, and Children Program-Reply

Abstract

Abstract In Reply.—Discussions of WIC often ignore the original 1972 legislation and its extensions: there are three related but different programs. Prenatal supplementation is credited with prolonging gestation, increasing birth weights, and enhancing infants' cognitive skills. Although one third of all births are covered, these laudable goals have not been reached and our worst pediatric problem, very low birth weight and its consequences, causes ever more human suffering and...
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References (6)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0002-922X
DOI
10.1001/archpedi.1993.02160280018006
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract In Reply.—Discussions of WIC often ignore the original 1972 legislation and its extensions: there are three related but different programs. Prenatal supplementation is credited with prolonging gestation, increasing birth weights, and enhancing infants' cognitive skills. Although one third of all births are covered, these laudable goals have not been reached and our worst pediatric problem, very low birth weight and its consequences, causes ever more human suffering and enormous costs among the population groups that WIC is supposed to reach.1 Either the program is poorly targeted or the problem is not nutritional, or both. Although it does no harm and may help a small minority of truly undernourished pregnant women, it continues to divert much attention and considerable resources away from the research needed and the preventive, mostly educational, programs that can do something effective.2 For children younger than age 5 years WIC provides a generous dietary supplement: few References 1. Hughes D, Johnson K, Rosenbaum S, Liu J, eds. The Health of America's Children, Maternal and Child Health Data Book 1989 . Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund; 1989:92. 2. McLaughlin FJ, Altemeier WA, Christensen MJ, Sherrod KB, Dietrich MS, Stern DT. Randomized trial of comprehensive prenatal care for low-income women: effect on infant birth weight . Pediatrics . 1992;89:128-132. 3. Center for Disease Control. CDC Analysis of Nutritional Indices for Selected WIC Participants . Atlanta, Ga: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, CDC Nutrition Section; 1978:8. 4. MacGowan RJ, MacGowan CA, Serdula MK, Lane JM, Joesoef RM, Cook FH. Breast-feeding among women attending Women, Infants, and Children clinics in Georgia, 1987 . Pediatrics . 1991;87:361-366. 5. Ryan AS, Rush D, Krieger FW, Lewandowski GE. Recent declines in breast-feeding in the United States, 1984 through 1989 . Pediatrics . 1991;88:719-727. 6. Keating JP, Schears GH, Dodge PR. Oral water intoxication in infants: an American epidemic . AJDC . 1991;145:985-990.

Journal

American Journal of Diseases of Children – American Medical Association

Published: Apr 1, 1993

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