CHANDIGARH: Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Health Minister Punjab Friday urged mothers of newborns to start breast feeding their infants within the first hour of birth as a mother's milk contains all the nutrients required for the healthy development of a child.

Giving her message on World Breast feeding Week, which was being celebrated from 1st   August to 7th August 2007 .

 Chawla said that main objective of the 'World Breast feeding Week' was to sensitise mothers about the importance of breast feeding. She said the mothers would be trained in the correct manner to breastfeed their babies. Breast feeding would also reduce infant mortality considerably and also reduce incidence malnutrition, diarrhea and growth disorders. Besides this child have a right on her mothers milk. Breast feeding helps both the child and the mother. Breast feeding also protects mothers from breast and ovarian cancer.              

Chawla said that its 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. Scientific evidence reveals that starting breast feeding within one hour of birth can prevent 22% of deaths among newborns, she added.