Does WIC participation improve breast-feeding practices?

Abstract

The effects of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on breast-feeding behavior have been sometimes found inadequate. The determinants of breast-feeding initiation and duration among WIC participants and nonparticipants were modeled by using retrospective crosssectional data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. This study corrects for self-selection bias as far as the data allow, in addition to controlling for parents' ages, education, race, and family income. Findings suggest that prenatal WIC participation, combined with breast-feeding advice, significantly increases the initiation of breastfeeding but does not affect duration. The exact nature of effective breastfeeding advice given prenatally at WIC clinics is unclear and warrants further research.