The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities just released an updated version of  WIC Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for 40 Years report, infographics and social media graphics. These pieces summarize research on WIC's effects on: pregnancy and birth outcomes; nutrition; immunization, health, and cognitive development; and neighborhood food environments.  Key recent findings include: WIC participation is associated with large reductions in the risk of adverse birth outcomes beginning about the 29th week of pregnancy; obesity rates declined among two to four year olds on WIC between 2010 and 2014; WIC participation reduces the prevalence of food insecurity among children by at least 20 percent; and average scores for young, low-income children on the Healthy Eating Index increased more than twice as much among WIC participants as among non-participants after the 2009 WIC food package changes. ACTION: Use the report, infographics, and social media graphics to share with your community and leaders how WIC Works!

Starting Now: A Policy Vision for Supporting the Healthy Growth and Development of Every California Baby a report from Children Now, provides California's leaders with a policy road map for supporting our youngest children from the very start, including reference to the importance of WIC and CalFRESH. The report includes rich data resources and infographics here .  Contact Stacy Lee, Managing Director Early Childhood Project Integration at slee@childrennow.org  with any questions or feedback on its content.

A  new study  suggests that a child exposed to lead may suffer cognitive and socioeconomic effects well into adulthood. Lead exposure in the U.S. can come from old paint, contaminated soil, or water that's passed through lead pipes, and is linked to neurological and behavioral  problems. Researchers followed about 560 people from birth in the 1970s to the present, testing at age 11 for lead. Study participants who had low lead levels as children maintained their IQ as adults, yet children with higher lead exposures experienced a decline in intellectual abilities as time wore on. While interventions over the last several decades have reduced lead exposure , communities like Flint, MI that have experienced higher lead exposures may suffer the consequences for decades.

The CDC has released data indicating that infant mortality has declined by 15 percent over the last decade, particularly welcome news as the US has persistently had a higher rate of infant deaths than other wealthy nations. The report highlights states that have been particularly successful - Colorado, Connecticut, South Carolina, and Vermont all reduced rates of infant death by more than 20 percent, and Washington, D.C., saw a drop of almost 50 percent. Doctors across the United States credit a variety of initiatives (preterm birth prevention strategies, home visitation, family planning, etc.) for the decline.

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has released an updated Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy Term Breastfed Neonate . A central goal of ABM is the development of clinical protocols for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success. These protocols serve only as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants and do not delineate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as standards of medical care.

The counselors at the California Smokers' Helpline have made flyers and fact sheets available in English and Spanish. Materials include tips to quit smoking, smoking and various health conditions, and child safety and e-cigarettes. You'll find these and other resources for helping participants reduce substance use on our June WIC Can Help webpage.