Health Effects and Cost Benefits

Many studies have shown the benefits of the WIC Nutrition Program.

Pregnant women on WIC:

• Have a better diet.
• Get into prenatal care earlier in pregnancy.
• Have fewer premature babies.
• Have fewer low and very low birth-weight babies.
• Experience fewer fetal and infant deaths.

Children on WIC:

• Have a better diet.
• Are more likely to have normal childhood growth.
• Have less childhood anemia.
• Have better immunization rates.
• Have better access to pediatric health care.
• Have increased vocabulary and memory scores.

Cost benefits of WIC:

• Every WIC dollar used to serve pregnant women saves $1.92 to $4.21 in Medicaid costs.
• WIC reduces the rate of very low birth-weight babies by 44%. It costs between $30,000 and $70,000 to raise a low or very low birth-weight baby to normal weight.

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Washington State Department of Health WIC Nutrition Program
111 Israel Rd SE, P.O. Box 47886
Olympia, Washington, 98504-7890

Last Update:  February 15, 2012
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