Diane:

I posted a brief history of WIC to lactnet last year -- look at the
archives.

I am unaware of any collusion with the ABM industry, although I don't
doubt that it probably exists.  Certainly has been significant ABM
industry cooperation within the Executive Branch (Vice Presidents as
well as the famed 11th hour call from Reagan to the WHO Code Conf U.S.
reps to tell them to vote against it in 1981).

I think the big turnaround in WIC has been:
--Surgeon General's conf. in 1984
--Dedicated USDA and MCHB staff who really wanted to get bf recognized
--Dedicated State WIC staff who saw the opportunity to control costs by
making the ABM industry 'work' for their money through rebate contracts
--Dedicated state and local WIC staff who have been willing to change
and believe the increasingly better research on breastfeeding.
--Good breastfeeding promotional materials that really listened to
low-income women and their needs(the first AND second rounds of Best
Start materials)

If you believe Linda Inglis, of Best Start, (and I do), WIC is now being
recognized as the place to go for breastfeeding info and assistance
(when just a few years ago, we were having problem getting women on the
program prenatally, because it was only seen as the 'free formula
agency').

Miracles do happen!

BTW, the U.S. General Accounting Office has recently issued a report,
"Food Assistance: Informaiton on WIC Sole-source Rebates and Infant
Formula Prices."  I'm going to review for JHL.  Here are some quotes
from the results:

"Wholesale prices for non-WIC purchasers rose an average of 9% annually
after adjusting for the general rate of inflation in the economy at
about the time the sole-source rebate requirement whent into effect,
compared with increaes of about 3% at other times during the period of
our analysis.  Since little data are available on the factors that could
have affected the price of infant formula, we could not analyze the
extent to which, if at all, the accelerated price rise in infant formula
was due to the rebate requrement."

"Although we did not have access to the price and cost data that could
determine definitively whether non-WIC consumers subsidized WIC through
the prices thay paid for infant formula, our analysis indicates that it
is doubtful that such a subsidy has occurred."

My impression so far is that GAO is lacking significant data to really
be able to analyze this impact, and that their results are not reliable.
JMHO.

You can form your own opinions by getting a copy of the document:
GAO/RCED-98-146, "WIC Sole Source Rebate".  Order it from US GAO, P.O.
Box 37050, Washington, DC 20013.  I think it's also available on line.
To get info on it, send an email with "info" in the body to
<[log in to unmask]> or visit GAO's Website: <www.gao.gov>.

Fascinating!

--Doraine Bailey

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