According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the second week of January marks an important women's health observance: Folic Acid Awareness Week. Folic Acid, a B-vitamin that is used by the body in the production of new cells, is necessary for everyone's health but is of utmost importance to women of child-bearing age. Folic acid deficiency during the early stages of pregnancy can lead to several complications, including a birth defect known as a neural tube defect.

From the CDC's Folic Acid Information Bank:

Birth defects of a baby’s brain or spine happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant. That is why it is important for a woman to get enough folic acid each day, starting before she is pregnant.

A woman’s body uses folic acid to make healthy new cells for her baby. Scientists are not sure how folic acid works to prevent birth defects, but they do know that it is needed for making the cells that will form a baby’s brain, spine, organs, skin, and bones.

The CDC, March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid have combined to create a unique online campaign to promote Folic Acid Awareness Week. To send an e-card to friends, take an online quiz on Folic Acid facts, and learn more, please visit the campaign website.