Lest we get too excited too soon, it should be pointed out that this report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
of Science only proposes criteria for selection of the WIC food package.

It also bears mentioning that a word search of the Executive Summary and Chapter 6: Proposed Approach for Selecting the WIC Food
Packages yielded 0 hits for "organic."

"Women Lead Demand for What's Really Organic"  http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=2270

One of my arguments with the WIC system is that organic dairy products
are specifically banned (at least in my state), even when they are
within the price limits set.  Therefore, we may infer that WIC's
message is that organic dairy products are less nutritious than dairy 
products obtained through the use of recombinant gene therapy, hormonal 
manipulation, antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides.  Since in fact 
this is not true, it weakens WIC's educational authority overall.


We also don't know if the recommendations will simply result in the 
amount of the food package being decreased, or whether more fresh
produce and other options will actually be added.


In the two sections I have perused this morning, not a lot has been 
said about breastfeeding.  This seems to me one of the most important aspects of the WIC program, and where it has the greatest
potential yet so far the potential remains untapped, despite the heroic efforts of many working within WIC.  Clearly breastfeeding
deserves more attention at this level.  It should have had at minimum an entire chapter in this report.  Here is Criterion 3
(Proposed Criteria for 
the WIC Food Packages):  


The package contributes to an overall diet that is consistent with 
established dietary recommendations for infants and children less than 
2 years of age, including encouragement and support for breastfeeding.
The forms of foods in the package should be suitable for a young 
child's age and stage of development.  Consideration will be given to 
keeping juice intake within American Academy of Pediatrics
recommendations, discouraging the early introduction of complementary 
foods, and avoiding excessive intake of food energy.


Two things I like are that (1) it explicitly encourages and
supports breastfeeding for children under 2 years of age (not 1 year or
6 months), and does not implicitly discourage breastfeeding after 2
years of age; (2) the stipulation discouraging the early introduction
of complementary foods and avoiding excessive intake of food energy 
are in de facto support of longer exclusive breastfeeding.



Arly Helm, MS, IBCLC
Consultant to the WIC Program

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