In plain words
Nutritional risk is a term from the program. It means a health or diet problem that a WIC staff member finds during a screening. The problem can be medical, such as anemia, or dietary, such as a diet short on key nutrients. Other findings include a pregnancy complication or a baby who is not growing well. A person must have a nutritional risk to qualify for WIC, along with income and category rules. Staff record the risk at a certification appointment. The finding helps decide which foods and services a person gets. Nutritional risk is not a diagnosis of a disease, and it does not mean a person did something wrong. It is a screening result that connects a family with food and nutrition help.
The deeper version
Nutritional risk criteria are set in federal WIC regulation (7 CFR part 246) and draw on the Institute of Medicine's 2006 review of WIC food packages and risk. Criteria include medical conditions such as anemia, underweight, maternal obesity, and a history of poor pregnancy outcomes, and dietary risks such as low intake of key nutrients. Iron-deficiency anemia is among the most common risks recorded, identified by cut-offs published by the CDC, adjusted for age and pregnancy. Scholars debate how well the risk screen predicts benefit from the program.
Where it comes up
- WIC and food assistanceCalifornia: Leave, Money, and Paperwork
- Blood-building foods after birthNourishment and Traditions
- Low iron and anemiaPregnancy: Your Body
- What to eat in pregnancy: the short versionPregnancy: Eating
What mothers here say about nutritional risk
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Institute of Medicine — WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change. 2006
- US Department of Agriculture — WIC program regulations, 7 CFR part 246