University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher finds WIC use dropping during and after coronavirus pandemic

Alex Kienlen
·2 min read
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A recent study by UAMS researchers found statistics that brought concern for the health of infants and mothers.

The research found use of a federal program for nutrition supplementation decreased during and after the coronavirus pandemic. The program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is more commonly known as WIC.

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WIC is designed to assure low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 to get proper nutrition. It is administered in Arkansas by the Department of Health, which issues cards for food purchase to qualified families.

The study looked at participation among the more than 10 million Medicaid-covered births in the United States between 2016 and 2022. It found participation in 2016 at 66.6% and dropping in 2022 to 57.9%.

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Lead researcher and UAMS College of Medicine student Savannah Bush found that minority race/ethnicity groups had the largest participation decline, especially among native Hawaiian and other Pacific Island groups. This decline caused some concern among researchers, including Clare Brown, an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Public Health.

“WIC services have been consistently shown to improve infant outcomes at birth, as well as throughout infancy, while providing other maternal health benefits,” Brown said, adding, “When we see that the use of WIC declines for a community who’s already at increased risk of bad infant and maternal health outcomes, those bad health outcomes might get even worse.”

Researchers added that the findings were critical for Arkansas mothers, considering the state being recently ranked worst in the nation for maternal mortality, coupled with the state’s large population of Marshallese mothers.

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Brown suggested building what she called flexibilities into the WIC program to improve access to the program for those who need it most. These flexibilities included increased access to sign up for the program, including adding clinic hours and interpreter services.

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