[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) PROGRAM CONTINUES TO IMPROVE THE 
                        HEALTH CARE OF MILLIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 1999

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as a cochair of the Congressional 
Prevention Coalition, I stand in strong support today of a program that 
makes a tremendous contribution to disease prevention and health 
promotion. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has been 
educating woman and children about basic nutrition that can help them 
lead healthier, and therefor happier lives. Chronic disease is the 
cause of 70 percent of deaths in the United States and nutrition is a 
primary form of prevention for chronic disease.
  Nutrition education can start very early in life. WIC educators help 
expectant mothers to give their babies good nutrition, even before they 
are born, through prenatal counseling and care. After the baby is born, 
WIC educators continue to serve low income women, infants and children 
with pediatric health care services and nutrition education. WIC 
educators help babies get a healthy start on life through breastfeeding 
education and support. The first food a baby gets could be the most 
important. Breastfeeding is almost always the best form of nutrition 
for a baby and WIC educators help mothers to learn the wide benefits of 
breastfeeding including its nutrition and excellent source of 
antibodies that protect against infection.
  The preventive care that WIC provides saves us money in the long run. 
the National Association of WIC Directors estimates that for every 
dollar spent on pregnant women in the WIC program, we save $1.92 to 
$4.21 in Medicaid costs. For every low birth weight prevented as a 
result of WIC's prenatal program, Medicaid costs are reduced $12,000 to 
$15,000 per infant.
  More importantly, WIC works in helping low-income mothers and 
children to live healthy lives. For example, according to CDC, WIC 
children showed a 16-percent decrease in the anemia rate at their 6-
month recertification screening than in their initial screening. WIC 
babies have fewer low birth weight babies and fewer fetal and infant 
deaths. WIC also helps spur normal childhood growth, increases 
immunization rates, improves access to pediatric health care and 
readies children to learn with proven higher test scores.
  I want to thank the National Association of WIC directors and all of 
those at WIC who do so much in improving the health care needs of the 
millions of women, infants, and children who participate in this 
lifesaving program. Thank you for 25 years of vital work and service.

                          ____________________