Chawla urges mothers for breast feeding

Chandigarh, Aug 3 (UNI) While Giving message on World Breast feeding Week, Punjab Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla today urged the mothers of newborns to start breast feeding their infants within first hour of birth as a mother's milk contains all the nutrients required for the healthy development of a child.

Ms Chawla said that main objective of the 'World Breast feeding Week', which was being celebrated from August one to August seven, was to sensitise the mothers about the importance of breast feeding.

"Breast feeding during first hour of birth helps in protecting the infants from infection and provides them nutrition. This will reduce infant mortality considerably and will also reduce cases of malnutrition, diarrhea and growth disorders," the Health Minister said. Breast feeding helps not only the child but also the mothers as it protects mothers from breast and ovarian cancer, she added.

Ms Chawla said that it is a duty of medical and paramedical staff of various hospitals, dispensaries and maternity and child welfare centers to create awareness among new mothers to adopt breast feeding.

UNI