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WIC Can Help During the Holidays
The holiday season can be a time for increased stress on families, whether it be additional tension in already difficult living conditions; increasing anxiety about how to pay for necessities-rent, food, utilities-as well as some modest gifts; how to pay for additional childcare during school breaks; or how to provide a holiday meal. WIC Can Help provides resources on programs that families can consider for additional help so that the holiday season can be about spending quality time together and creating positive memories.
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Black Friday Alternatives
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Giving Thanks
As we prepare to take a few days off from our busy work lives to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, the CWA team would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude for the work of local agency and state WIC staff, partners, colleagues and friends. We couldn't do what we do without you. We look forward to continuing this work in the upcoming year, even as we count our many blessings and lessons from the past year. So, whether you're braving the roads or skyways to be with loved ones, or making plans to serve up favorite recipes and fall foods, we hope you get to enjoy some quality time with the loved ones in your life. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. We hope it's a special one.
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Federal Funding Updates
Hours before the Continuing Resolution (CR) expired last Thursday, another CR was approved to extend federal funding through Dec. 20. Also reached last week was agreement on the allocations for the twelve appropriations committees. Funding for WIC passed the House in June and the Senate in Sept.in the Agriculture Appropriations bill. With only a few weeks in this CR, the legislators have many funding bills to negotiate. Now is the time to speak up in support of Breastfeeding Peer Counselors (BFPC). The House and Senate have indicated an interest to increase funding to $90 million in the House bill and $80 million in the Senate bill. The opportunity to increase funding has not come along in many years. Your representative needs to hear from constituents about the program and the importance for increased funding. WIC staff are experts on BFPCs! ACTION: Call or email your representative in support of $90 million for WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors.
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Bills to Improve Maternal Health Move Through the House
Two bipartisan bills aimed at improving maternal health outcomes are making their way through the House. The Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act, or Helping MOMS Act, is led by Reps. Robin Kelly (R-IL) and Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX). The bill would permit states to extend Medicaid eligibility for postpartum women to one year, ensuring increased healthcare access for new mothers. The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act - led by Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Larry Bucschon (R-IN) - aims to decrease racial disparities in maternal healthcare by creating new funding to enhance perinatal quality collaboratives and enhance implicit bias training in medical and nursing schools. The National WIC Association has endorsed both bills and is supportive of the wide-ranging efforts in Congress to address the nation's high rates of maternal mortality and staggering racial disparities in maternal deaths.
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Spring Conference - Registration is Live!
We are ready to Unite, Inspire and Uplift with you at the 28
th Annual Conference and Trade Show, April 5-8,
register here and see our
conference webpage
for updates.
Our planning committee is working hard on an exciting agenda for 2020. Plan on hearing from subject matter experts on topics like nutrition arts, infant mental health, workforce development, compassion fatigue - stress reduction - and respectful leadership, multiple SOGI workshops, how to support breastfeeding in poor living conditions, how transitions to EBT cards affects enrollment, and much more. And to keep things fresh you will have opportunities to get your bodies moving in between sessions and to get in touch with your creative side with some interactive art activities. If you are interested in leading a 20-minute mini-wellness session (yoga, meditation, dance, stretching techniques), please contact Jodi. Stay tuned because there is so much more to come!
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Obesity Declines for Toddlers in WIC
New findings from the CDC indicate that the obesity rate among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in WIC from 2010-2016, decreased from 15.9 percent to 13.9 percent. The decline was statistically significant across all racial and ethnic groups studied. The study noted that in 2009 WIC state agencies were required to update their food packages to better align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Despite these recent decreases in obesity among children enrolled in WIC, obesity prevalence remained high in most states in 2016. The CDC cited recommendations made by other groups ranging from improving physical activity and food and beverage environments, better nutrition standards and more walkable neighborhoods.
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Baby-Friendly Practices Associated with Lowered Infant Mortality in First Week
A new study published by The Journal of Pediatrics shows increased rates of implementation of hospital-based breastfeeding initiatives are associated with decreased rates of infant deaths in the first six days after birth, dispelling speculation that such practices might increase infant death. The authors of the study examined trends in the percentage of births in baby-friendly hospitals between 2004-2016, as well as the implementation of skin-to-skin care in the first hour after birth in both the U.S. population and in Massachusetts. Trends in Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID), including deaths by asphyxia, in the first six days after birth during the same time period were also examined. Despite marked increases in both the percentage of newborns being delivered in baby-friendly facilities and in the percentage of newborns experiencing skin-to-skin care, there has been a significant decrease in deaths due to SUID within the first six days after birth.
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U.S. Babies, Toddlers, Consuming Added Sugar
Nearly all American toddlers and about two-thirds of infants
consume added sugar
, despite nutritionists' recommendations that children avoid sweetened foods and beverages, according to a recent
government study
. Researchers using data from the CDC found that from 2011 to 2016, 98 percent of toddlers ages 12 to 23 months consumed added sugar in fruit drinks, baked goods, candy and ready-to-eat cereals. The researchers also found that about 60 percent of infants up to 11 months old consumed added sugar in yogurt, baby snacks and flavored milk, among other foods - about one teaspoon of sugar per day.
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CA Paid Family Leave Report, Recommendations
Research shows that paid family leave has been beneficial for the workers who have accessed the program and for their employers. California Budget and Policy Center has released a report, detailing California's paid family leave policies and the gaps and inadequacies that remain, with recommendations on updating and improving policies so that more Californians can benefit.
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Safe Sleep Resources
The National Institute for Children's Health Quality has published two resources to support state and community efforts to eliminate sleep-related infant deaths. "Promising Practices for Safe Sleep" identifies state and national emerging and promising practices to promote safe sleep in states and communities. "Literature Review of Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Safe Sleep Practices" examines literature and analyses of current evidence-based safe sleep practice initiatives that provide health care provider training and modeling, increase infant caregiver knowledge and education, and promote safe sleep polices at the local, state, and federal level.
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CA Diabetes Care Resources
California has excellent provider training modules, addressing key issues for the California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program (CDAPP, also known as Sweet Success). CDAPP providers are required to take the trainings, new trainings are free to take and provide continuing education units. As of January 2020, all modules should be a free source of CEUS for RDs/RDNs. Since 1982 CDAPP has been addressing diabetes care during pregnancy through a team approach, including a medical provider, diabetes nurse educator, registered dietitian and behavioral specialist. The program is open to new interested Affiliates. Information is provided on the CDAPP Sweet Success website.
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Reproductive & Sexual Health Access
Protection of, and access to, reproductive and sexual health care have been under threat and in a growing number of ways, eliminated, for over two years now, undoing years of progress. The Kaiser Family Foundation provides extensive resources, reports and issue briefs on aspects of provision of these health care services. Check out the library of topics including employer exemptions for contraceptive care, state policy and abortion rights, restrictions to Title X funding which supports family planning for low-income individuals, the ACA and preventive services provisions, and use of telemedicine for sexual and reproductive health.
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