The United States Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program, also known as WIC, provides nearly fifty percent of the infant formula used in infants to families free of charge. United States. This raised alarm bells because formula feeding is known to result in worse health outcomes for newborns than breastfeeding. Why would WIC offer formula to its customers when breast milk is free and is known to be more beneficial to infants than formula? Available evidence implies that the WIC program promotes the use of formula, thereby placing infants at higher health risk. Feeding a child is an indispensable duty of a parent. Part of this duty includes making sure the child receives a healthy and nutritious diet. Unfortunately, it's not always obvious what healthy and nutritious means. What we know is that breast milk not only contains the perfect amount of nutrients, but it also contains high levels of nutrients needed for healthy growth and development that are easily digestible resulting in reduced gas, diarrhea and constipation. While the nutritional content of infants with formula depends on the correct preparation and some infants have difficulty tolerating some nutrients. Parents who have had colic know how essential this is for a newborn and the difference it makes to breastfeeding. Breast milk is gentler on the newborn's digestive system. The formula helps reduce colic, but only relieves tiny amounts of gas pain. Breast milk is the only natural, complete and complex food for newborns and strengthens their immune system. Breast milk has also been scientifically proven to provide benefits... middle of paper... a pillow for families experiencing financial hardship will give parents the opportunity to seriously consider how to feed their newborn knowing that there is no a WIC program to be influenced by after the birth of your child. Reducing WIC to only medically necessary participants will give breastfeeding a fair chance as an adversary to formula and increase much of this financial economic burden placed on hard-working taxpayers. Works Cited “How Much Do Formula Milk and Other Baby Supplies Cost?” The Labor of Love.com.2005.Web.www.thelaboroflove.com. April 5, 2011Kramer, F. "The Secrets of Breastfeeding and Weight Loss." Breast Feeding.com.2009.Web.www.breastfeeding.com. April 4, 2011.Oliveira, Victor. “Sharing the economic burden.” Amber waves. May 2004.Web.www.ers.usda.gov. April 5 2011.