Does the new WIC food package impact breastfeeding rates?

In 2005, the Institute of Medicine recommended changes to align the WIC food packages with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In the IOM report, “WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change”, significant changes were suggested for the food packages for postpartum women and infants in order to better incentivize breastfeeding. By October 1, 2009 these changes were adopted nationwide. In addition to an enhanced food package for fully breastfeeding mothers and their infants (starting at age 6 months), a new policy of no routine issuance of formula in the first month was introduced. The goal of this session is to describe the impact of these changes on breastfeeding rates of WIC participants in Southern California. Southern California is the home of the largest local WIC program in the United States, PHFE-WIC. Prior to the food package change, PHFE-WIC collected detailed information about breastfeeding rates of WIC participants (N> 60,000) and conducted a survey of ~1000 postpartum women about their perceptions of the breastfeeding food package and the breastfeeding support they received from WIC. Detailed information about breastfeeding rates continued to be collected following the changes to the food package, and a second survey of postpartum women was conducted following the changes. This session will describe breastfeeding rates before and after changes to the WIC food package, and illustrate WIC participant perceptions of the old and new food packages as they relate to breastfeeding support.