Kolkata, Nov 26 (IANS): With northern West Bengal's Malda district earning notoriety for crib deaths, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday urged people not to marry off their daughters at an early age to prevent weak mothers and children.

Speaking at a rally in Malda, Banerjee asked the people to avail of medical benefits provided by the government to curb crib deaths and advised them to allow their daughters to pursue studies.

"Do not marry off your daughters before 18. Child marriage not only results in the girl becoming a weak mother, but often the child born is weak and in many cases we have seen them dying," she said, advising people to take care of pregnant women.

She also said the number of women giving birth at home was the highest in the district, and urged people to avail of various government schemes.

"Please avail of the government medical schemes and look after your daughters. Let them pursue higher studies," said Banerjee enumerating various women welfare schemes.

Besides announcing a slew of projects for the district, Banerjee also said the region will soon get fair-price medicine shops as well as diagnostics centres where the services will be available at concessional rates.

She also inaugurated a thalassemia unit in the Malda Medical College Hospital which has often been in the news for crib deaths.