Can WIC use a physicians hemoglobin value?
The Alaska WIC Program supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy that exclusive breastfeeding is the ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for full-term infants during the first 6 months after birth and should be continued with the addition of age-appropriate introduction of solid foods and juices, at least through the first 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired (AAP, Work Group on Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 1997; 100: 1035-1039). In the absence of human milk, iron-fortified infant formula is an appropriate substitute for feeding the full-term infant during the first year of life. Low-iron formulas exist because iron is perceived by some to cause constipation and other feeding problems. Well-controlled studies have consistently failed to show any increased risk of feeding intolerance with the use of iron-fortified formulas ( Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, 4th edition, 1998 ).
