A National Child Health Survey was conducted during 1987 for which a s
tratified multi-stage sampling was done. Out of the 8482 mothers inter
viewed 6131 had at least one live birth 5 years or less before the sur
vey. Eighty-two per cent of the currently breastfed children, were les
s than 6 months of age, but only 55 per cent of the infants up to 1 mo
nth of age were breastfed without supplementation. The mean interval b
etween supplementation and weaning for all age groups of mothers was 7
.7 months. The predominant causes of weaning were child reaching suita
ble age and mother not having enough milk. This study establishes base
line information about feeding practice on a nationwide basis in Saud
i Arabia.