DOES THE WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN PROGRAM IMPROVE INFANT HEALTH OUTCOMES?

Abstract

We reevaluate the causal impacts of prenatal participation in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program on birth outcomes by simultaneously accounting for self‐selection into WIC and systematic underreporting of program participation. Combining survey data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort with administrative data from the USDA, we extend partial identification methods to reflect institutional details of the WIC program and validate WIC program participation for a mixture of positive and negative responses. Our preferred estimates imply that WIC increases the prevalence of normal birth weight by at least 4.8% and normal gestation duration by at least 3.7%. (JEL C14, C21, I12, I31, I38)