PIP: Socioeconomic change in Saudi Arabia over the last two to three decades has introduced many foreign ideas into the country, many of which have influenced the Saudi people and changed long-established habits. The present level of breast feeding remains much higher in Saudi Arabia than in some other developing countries, but there is nonetheless a trend toward bottle feeding both in urban and rural areas. The increasing tendency to feed by bottle, especially among illiterate mothers and under bad hygienic conditions, must be stopped. Most of these mothers can successfully breastfeed their babies. A lack of breast milk and pregnancy have been stated as the reasons for giving artificial feeds by the majority of mothers in most studies from Saudi Arabia, although high purchasing capacity, easy availability, excessive advertisements, and acceptance of the promotion of artificial feeds may also be reasons for the increasing tendency to bottle feed. Widespread ignorance of modern research on breast feeding by the medical profession and nurses also drives many health personnel to either encourage or ignore the trend. The use of raw milk for infant feeding is a common practice in certain areas where brucellosis is endemic. Poor supplementation with solid food is a common problem in developing countries and is a major cause of malnutrition, since supplementation hastens the discontinuation of breast feeding. Supplementation and the allowance of fluids other than breast milk must be discouraged from the beginning.