Participant Eligibility

Participant eligibility is based on three things, category, income, and nutritional risk.

Categories include:
Women - pregnant women, postpartum breastfeeding women up to 1 year after delivery while nursing, and postpartum non-breastfeeding women up to 6 months after delivery or termination of the pregnancy.

Infants – from birth up to one year of age.

Children – from one year of age up to their 5th birthday.

Income:
Calculated on the family income at 185% or less of federal poverty level.

Nutritional Risk:
WIC documents and prioritizes the nutritional health risks of all WIC participants. This assessment helps to guarantee that the program benefits those who need it most and that the help given is appropriate for the participants' nutritional health.

Risks For Women
Anthropometric (Measurement) Risks

• Low Maternal Weight Gain
• Maternal Weight Loss During Pregnancy
• Prepregnancy/Postpartum Underweight
• Prepregnancy/Postpartum Overweight
• High Maternal Weight Gain

Clinical, Health, or Medical Risks

• Pregnancy-Induced Conditions
• Pregnancy at a Young Age
• History of Low Birthweight
• History of Spontaneous Abortion (Miscarriage)
• History of Fetal Loss (Stillbirth)
• History of Neonatal Loss (Death of Baby After Birth)
• History of Birth with Nutrition- Related Congenital or Birth Defect
• Closely Spaced Pregnancies
• High Parity (Pregnant Many Times) and Young Age
• Multifetal Gestation (Twins, Triplets, Etc.)
• Pregnant Woman Currently Breastfeeding
• Nutrition-Related Risks or Conditions
• Dental Problems

Biochemical Risks

• Low hemoglobin/Low Hematocrit
• Elevated Blood Lead Levels

Dietary Risks

• Failure to Meet Dietary Guidelines
• Inappropriate Nutrition Practices for Women

Other Risks

• Possibility of Regression
• Transfer of Certification
• Breastfeeding Complications
• Homelessness or Migrancy
• Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Woman
• Breastfeeding Mother of Infant at Nutritional Risk

Risks For Infants and Children
Anthropometric (Measurement) Risks

• Inadequate Growth
• Low Birth Weight
• Prematurity
• Small for Gestational Age
• Low Head Circumference
• Underweight or at-risk of Becoming Underweight Infants and Children
• Overweight Children
• At-risk of Becoming Overweight Infants and Children
• Short Stature or At Risk of Short Stature
  
• Failure to Thrive
  

Clinical, Health, or Medical Risks

• Nutrition-Related Risks or Conditions
• Dental Problems

Biochemical Risks

• Low hemoglobin/Low Hematocrit
• Elevated Blood Lead Levels

Dietary Risks

• Failure to Meet Dietary Guidelines
• Inappropriate Nutrition Practices for Infants
  
• Inappropriate Nutrition Practices for Children
• Dietary Risk Associated with Complementary Feeding Practices

Other Risks

• Possibility of Regression
• Transfer of Certification
• Breastfeeding Complications
• Homelessness or Migrancy
• Infant up to 6 months of age of a woman participating in WIC or of a woman who would have been eligible during pregnancy
• Breastfeeding Infant of a Woman at Nutritional Risk
• Primary Caregiver with Limited Ability to Make Feeding Decisions and/or Prepare Food