# Supporting Healthy Mothers and Infants Act of 2023

This bill updates the federal WIC program (Women, Infants, and Children nutrition assistance) to better support pregnant women, new mothers, and infants dealing with substance use issues. The main change is replacing outdated language about "drug abuse" with modern terminology like "substance use disorder," which reflects how medical professionals now understand and discuss addiction. This might seem like just a word change, but it signals a shift from treating substance use as a moral failing to treating it as a health condition.

The bill creates new requirements for the WIC program to develop and share better nutrition education materials specifically designed for people struggling with substance use. These materials would cover nutrition during pregnancy and after birth for women with substance use disorders, as well as special guidance for infants who were exposed to substances before birth or who have neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal symptoms babies experience after prenatal drug exposure). The bill also requires the government to create an online clearinghouse where all states can access and share these educational materials, making sure that WIC counselors across the country have consistent, evidence-based information to provide to participants.

To make this happen, the bill authorizes one million dollars in funding for fiscal year 2024. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure these materials are based on current medical evidence and are delivered in a respectful, non-judgmental way. Essentially, this bill aims to remove stigma from the WIC program and make sure that women and families affected by substance use disorders get the nutritional support and education they need during this critical time in their lives.

Supporting Healthy Mothers and Infants Act of 2023

Manning, Kathy E.

Supporting Healthy Mothers and Infants Act of 2023This bill modifies the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to add requirements for supporting individuals impacted by a substance use disorder.Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture to<ul><li>collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and disseminate nutrition education materials for individuals impacted by a substance use disorder, including materials for infants impacted by prenatal substance exposure and neonatal abstinence syndrome;</li><li>conduct outreach to individuals who are potentially eligible for the WIC program and who are impacted by such a disorder; and</li><li>make available to states through an online clearinghouse any nutrition education and training materials related to nutrition for individuals impacted by a substance use disorder or neonatal abstinence syndrome.</li></ul>In addition, the nutrition education materials developed in collaboration with HHS must be included in (1) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention-developed education materials, and (2) HHS guidance on improving care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome and their families.&nbsp;