OCR Text |
Show The WIC Program WIC supplemental food program for women, infants and children. Hie program is designed to get high protein and foods to pregnant women, infante and children during the critical most growing and developing periods of their lives. The WIC Program provides medicalnutritional screening and issues food vouchers to eligible women, infants and children at no cost These vouchers can be used at any participating grocery store to obtain the WIC supplemental foods (milk or cheese, eggs, cereals, juice, peanut butter, beans and for infants, iron fortified formula). WIC vouchers are similar to travelers checks. Hie WIC program also provides nutrition counseling and education to assist you and your family get other foods that you need. , To find out if you may qualify for the WIC Program, call the local is a special iron-fortifi- ed agency nearest you. (All When a woman smokes she is cutting down the oxygen supply to her baby. Smoking is directly linked to low birthweight babies because the chemicals in cigarettes reduce blood flow through the Utah agencies are listed on page 6.) The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism warns that more than two drinks a day (a total of two ounces of whiskey) may harm unborn children. The more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater the risk that her baby will be born with serious physical problems. Even if you are only an occasional drinker you have a slightly higher r. chance of miscarriage than a If you drink heavily your child could be born with Fetal non-drinke- placenta and deprive your baby of nutrients. Plus, as a smoker you may eat less of the right kinds of foods to feed your unborn child. Stillbirths and a higher incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are also associated with babies of women who smoke. The sooner you quit smoking, the better for you and your baby. o o Risks You Can Avoid For Your Baby's Health In pregnancy it is best to cut down the use of xwys, because there is no minimum level at which are you can be assured the ys safe for your unborn child. So try to avoid them during pregnancy if possible. However, there are times when to take the fewest possible medicines of any kind It is wise during your pregnancy, especially in the first few weeks. Many drugs you take can affect your baby. The word "drug" here includes not only prescription drugs but those you can buy over the counter such as laxatives or aspirin. Your health care provider can tell you what medications are safe in case you have the flu or a cold with a fever or a more Drug abuse is one risk of pregnancy over which you have control. Low birthweight is a direct result for babies whose mothers abuse or misuse drugs during pregnancy. Recreational drug use, are absolutely necessary. If a doctor or a dentist take professional advises advice, but tell them you are pregnant and ask whether the ys ys really are essential. whether it's marijuana, cocaine or heroin, during pregnancy may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, birth defects and mental retardation. Addiction to cocaine, PCP, and heroin in mothers leads to addiction in newborns who then must go through withdrawal during the first few weeks of life. So if you use drugs, there is no better time than now to get help to gradually reduce your use of these drugs under ' medical supervision. complicated illness. I . ..;... Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS babies tend to be underweight at birth, can be mentally retarded and may have abnormal facial features. So if you drink at all, why not give up drinking altogether during pregnancy? If you are having trouble controlling your drinking, please seek professional help for your baby's sake and your own health. Excessive alcohol intake will affect your ability to love and care for the baby after he or she is born. 2 |