Officials Accused of Hiding Success Story of Feeding Program

Nutrition advocates said today that the most extensive study ever of the government’s feeding program for pregnant women and their infants has found that the program is a rare success story--but a story that was suppressed by the Reagan Administration.

The five-year, $5-million study found that the special supplemental feeding program for women, infants and children--known as WIC--contributed to lower rates of premature birth, fewer stillbirths, better nutrition among mothers and infants and better intellectual development of preschoolers.

“This study . . . fulfills our highest hopes,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez).

But Miller said the Agriculture Department had tried to obscure the program’s results because the department opposes feeding programs.

He cited repeated delays and said the department, when it did release the report, deleted summaries that were written in layman’s terms.