Sec.19a-59c-2. Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for State WIC Program benefits an individual shall:

(a) reside in Connecticut, and

(b) be recipients of Food Stamps or assistance under Temporary Assistance To Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid, or be a member of a family that contains a TANF recipient or a pregnant woman or infant who receives Medicaid benefits, or have household income at or below 185% of the poverty income guidelines established by the Federal Office of Management and Budget, and

(c) fit one of the following nutritional risk priorities:

(1) Priority I

(A) The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify a pregnant or breastfeeding woman for Priority I:

(i) Anemia,

(ii) Past or present pregnancy induced hypertension,

(iii) Past or present gestational diabetes,

(iv) Severe nausea and vomiting,

(v) Nutrition related non-infectious chronic disease,

(vi) Recent or present nutrition related infectious disease,

(vii) Nutritionally significant genetic disease,

(viii) Clinical sign(s) of malnutrition,

(ix) Severe oral problems which impair ingestion of nutrients,

(x) Alcohol consumption,

(xi) Drug use,

(xii) Smoking,

(xiii) Other nutrition related medical condition(s),

(xiv) Underweight for height,

(xv) Overweight for height,

(xvi) Insufficient or excessive weight gain during pregnancy,

(xvii) Short interconceptional period,

(xviii) High parity,

(xix) Birth of a low birth weight infant,

(xx) Birth of a premature infant,

(xxi) Fetal or neonatal death or miscarriage,

(xxii) Inadequate or excessive weight gain in recent pregnancy,

(xxiii) Multiple pregnancy,

(xxiv) Teenager or over 35 years of age at conception,

(xxv) Breastfeeding woman whose infant is at nutritional risk, or

(xxvi) Possible regression to a prior medical condition if removed from program.

(B) The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify an infant for Priority I:

(i) Anemia,

(ii) Nutrition related non-infectious chronic disease,

(iii) Recent or present nutrition related infectious disease,

(iv) Nutritionally significant genetic disease,

(v) Clinical sign(s) of malnutrition,

(vi) Failure to thrive,

(vii) Congenital defect with nutritional implications,

(viii) Severe oral problems which impair the ingestion of nutrients,

(ix) Other nutrition related medical conditions,

(x) Low birth weight,

(xi) Prematurity,

(xii) Underweight or overweight for height,

(xiii) Stunted growth,

(xiv) Weight loss or deviation from normal pattern of growth,

(xv) Infant of alcoholic or drug addicted mother,

(xvi) Breastfeeding infant whose mother is at nutritional risk, or

(xvii) Possible regression to a prior medical condition if removed from program.

(2) Priority II. Except those infants who qualify for Priority I, infants up to six months of age of program participants who participated during pregnancy, and infants up to six months of age born of women who were not Program participants during pregnancy but whose medical records document that they were at nutritional risk during pregnancy due to nutritional conditions detectable by biochemical or anthropometric measurements or other documented nutritionally related medical conditions which demonstrated the person's need for supplemental foods.

(3) Priority III. The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify a child for Priority III:

(A) Anemia,

(B) Nutrition related non-infectious chronic disease,

(C) Recent or present nutrition related infectious disease,

(D) Nutritionally significant genetic disease,

(E) Clinical sign(s) of malnutrition,

(F) Failure to thrive,

(G) Congenital defect with nutritional implications,

(H) Severe oral problems which impair the ingestion of nutrients,

(I) Other nutrition related medical condition(s),

(J) Underweight or overweight for height,

(K) Stunted growth,

(L) Weight loss or deviation from normal pattern of growth, or

(M) Possible regression to a prior medical condition if removed from the program.

(4) Priority IV.

(A) The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify a pregnant or breastfeeding woman for Priority IV:

(i) Inadequate diet,

(ii) Pica,

(iii) Possible regression to a prior detrimental dietary condition if removed from the program,

(iv) Developmental disability, or

(v) Homeless individual or migrant.

(B) The presence of one or more of the following high risk criteria shall qualify a postpartum woman for Priority IV:

(i) Teenager,

(ii) Diagnosed chronic disease requiring a therapeutic diet, or

(iii) A poor obstetrical history.

(C) The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify an infant for Priority IV:

(i) Inadequate diet,

(ii) Pica, possible regression to a prior detrimental dietary condition if removed from program,

(iii) Infant of a developmentally disabled woman, or

(iv) Homeless individual or migrant.

(5) Priority V. The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify a child for Priority V:

(A) Inadequate diet,

(B) Pica,

(C) Possible regression to a prior detrimental dietary condition if removed from program,

(D) Child of alcoholic or drug addicted mother,

(E) Child of a developmentally disabled woman, or

(F) Homeless individual or migrant.

(6) Priority VI. The presence of one or more of the following nutritional risk criteria shall qualify a postpartum woman for Priority VI:

(A) Anemia,

(B) Recent or present pregnancy induced hypertension,

(C) Recent or present gestational diabetes,

(D) Severe nausea and vomiting,

(E) Nutrition related non-infectious chronic disease that does not require a special diet,

(F) Recent or present nutrition related infectious disease,

(G) Nutritionally significant genetic disease,

(H) Clinical sign(s) of malnutrition,

(I) Severe oral problems which impair the ingestion of nutrients,

(J) Alcohol consumption,

(K) Drug use,

(L) Smoking,

(M) Other nutrition related medical condition(s),

(N) Prenatal or postnatal underweight for height,

(O) Prenatal or postnatal overweight for height,

(P) Insufficient weight gain during pregnancy,

(Q) Excessive weight gain during pregnancy,

(R) Short interconceptional period,

(S) High parity,

(T) Birth of a premature infant,

(U) Fetal death or miscarriage,

(V) Inadequate or excessive weight gain in recent pregnancy,

(W) Multiple pregnancy,

(X) Over 35 years of age at conception,

(Y) Inadequate diet,

(Z) Pica,

(AA) Possible regression to a prior medical condition or a detrimental dietary condition if removed from the program,

(BB) Developmental disability, or

(CC) Homeless individual or migrant.

(Effective March 2, 1993; Amended April 3, 1998)