New York (PTI): About two dozen mothers breastfed their babies openly in a local train here to assert their right to nurse their young ones in public places as the World Health Organisation's breastfeeding week kicked off.

Several passengers in the train were taken aback at least initially as mothers on Friday began feeding their children in full view of everyone but most avoided looking at them.

"When you don't take lunch with blanket over your head, why my child do so?" a mother asked.

WHO advocates breastfeeding infants and young children as the most effective way to reduce child mortality especially among the poor. The UN health agency estimates that lack of breastfeeding in the first six month of child's life leads to over a million avoidable deaths among the new born.

WHO says that less than 40 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed during first six months.

Kicking off the week yesterday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said rapid improvements can be achieved if a breastfeeding culture once again permeates at all levels of the society.

Mothers need support not only to begin breastfeeding within one hour of birth, but also to sustain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and continue it for two years or beyond, she said yesterday.

"They also need support to prevent and overcome breastfeeding difficulties and deal with competing demands on their time. In addition, governments must ensure that infant formula marketing never seeks to persuade mothers that products could possibly be equivalent to breast milk. Above all, mothers everywhere should have a sense of pride in breastfeeding," she said.

"World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) should focus our attention on investing in mothers and families, to give children the best start in life," Chen added.