SPOKANE, Wash.-Families enrolled in WIC coped better through the 2022 infant formula shortage than other families, according to a recent WSU study.
Families that participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and families that were not enrolled were both affected by the shortage at similar rates, according to a Washington State University study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
However, those enrolled in WIC were better able to deal with the formula shortage by changing formula types or finding an alternate source, according to the study.
“By examining how WIC participation could be related to infant feeding practices during the formula shortage, our study adds important findings on how WIC can support families during times of crisis,” said Namrata Sanjeevi, the study’s first author and a research associate in WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
WIC participants were also reportedly less likely to use unhealthy alternatives to formula, such as dairy milk or milk substitutes, watering down formula or using homemade formula, according to a WSU press release on the results of the study.
WSU’s study examined how WIC participation impacted families’ experiences and coping strategies during the monthslong shortage, which started in February 2022 when a manufacturer recall added to existing pandemic-related supply chain issues.
The results of the study are evidence that more flexible WIC policies may have eased the burden on participating families during the shortage, according to WSU.
“WIC provides a safety net for infants and children, and early childhood WIC participation has long-lasting benefits for health, wellbeing and academic achievement,” said Sanjeevi.
After the formula recall, the federal government temporarily waived restrictions on WIC benefits that limited the type, size and brand of formula WIC participants could obtain.
For its study WSU used data collected from Dec. 2022 through Feb. 2023 through the Household Pulse Survey, an online survey designed to measure U.S. household experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need to do more to understand and eliminate barriers that keep families from participating in this proven, cost-effective program,” said Monsivais.
