#SaludTues Tweetchat 1/7: Why Folic Acid is Important for Latina and All Moms-to-Be

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Folic acid has long been linked to a healthy pregnancy.

In fact, pregnant women who consume a folic acid vitamin and folate-rich food have lower risk of their babies experiencing major neural tube birth defects of the brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida).

More than 300,000 neural tube birth defects happen every year in the U.S.

Latinas face a higher risk. They also have lower knowledge about the benefits of folic acid, along with lower folic acid consumption compared to women from other racial/ethnic groups.

To celebrate National Folic Acid Awareness Week (January 7-13), let’s tweet with #SaludTues on Jan. 7, 2020, to spread the importance of folic acid among Latinas and all mothers-to-be.

• WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Why Folic Acid is Important for Latina and All Moms-to-Be
• DATE/TIME: Noon CST (1 p.m. ET) Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020
• WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
• HOST: @SaludAmerica
• CO-HOSTS: UC Nutrition Policy (@UCnpi), Center for Science in the Public Interest (@CSPI), Communicate For Health Justice (@_CFHJ), US Department of Health and Humans services Region II (@HHS_HealthReg2), Mothertobaby Utah (@MotherToBabyUT)

We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore:

• How important is the folic acid for Latinas?
• How do lifestyle and food impact pregnant Latinas’ health?
• What programs, aids, and policies are available to help increase the update of folic acid?

Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter and share your strategies, stories, and resources to celebrate Folic Acid Awareness Month!

#SaludTues is a Latino health equity tweetchat at 12p CST/1p ET every Tuesday hosted by the @SaludAmerica program at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.