
WIC
(Women, Infant, and Children)
Clinic
The Preble County WIC Program helps income
eligible pregnant
and breastfeeding women, women who have recently had a baby, infants,
and
children who are at medical or nutritional risk.
WIC helps:
- Improve
pregnancy outcomes by providing or referring to support services
necessary for full term pregnancies.
- Reduce
infant mortality by decreasing the incidence of low birth weights.
- Increases breastfeeding rates.
- Give infants and children a healthy start
in life by providing nutritious foods.
WIC provides:
- Highly
nutritious foods such as milk, eggs, juice, cereal, peanut butter,
whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Infants
receive infant fruits, vegetables, cereal and iron-fortified formula.
- Nutrition
education, breastfeeding education and support.
- Referral to prenatal care, pediatric health
care and other maternal and child health and human service programs.
- WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition
education and referral to other agencies. A
family of four can gross up to $785 a week (before taxes).
Preble County WIC
(Women, Infant,
and Children) Breastfeeding Coordinator, Christine Maggard, RN,
recently became
an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). In order for Christine to become certified,
she had to take 40 hours of continuing education, have 1000 hours of
clinical
time, and take an exam. Before Christine
became certified, if moms experienced issues with breastfeeding that
were out
of her scope of practice, she would refer clients to a lactation
consultant out
of the area. Now with more knowledge and
experience, Christine can provide in-depth breastfeeding education and
support
at Preble County WIC.
A new
Breastfeeding Peer Helper is
scheduled to begin working at Preble County WIC in 2011.
The new Peer Helper will provide basic
breastfeeding information and support to pregnant and breastfeeding
women. Christine
Maggard, RN, IBCLC, will also be overseeing the Peer Helper.
For more information or income guidelines, call
the WIC
clinic at (937) 456-5457 Ext. 231.