3 lakh women sensitised about early breast feeding

Chandigarh, Aug 8 (UNI) Over three lakh pregnant and nursing mothers and adolescent girls have been made aware in Haryana about the advantages of within one hour of birth in the recently concluded Breastfeeding Week.

Woman and Child Development Minister Kartar Devi said a week long awareness campaign had been launched from August 1 to promote breastfeeding by organising various programmes and activities at village, block and district level.

Workshops, slogan writing competitions, nutrition quizes, rallies, prabhat-pheris, meetings and home visits by Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) functionaries had also been organised all across the state, she added.

The Minister said that during the campaign the attention of the people was drawn as to how one million babies could be saved through breast feeding within one hour of birth. Early initiation of breast feeding was the most vital step towards reducing infant and under-five mortality rate.

She said that the first milk of the mother called colostrum was highly essential for the child through which the mother transmits life to her baby. Besides containing protective proteins, vitamins, it also protected the new born baby against infection.

UNI