Many approaches are needed to improve child survival and growth in developing countries. Among these are improved sanitation, breast‐feeding promotion, immunizations, diarrheal disease control, and the provision of safe and nutritious weaning foods. This review considers weaning food developments in the context of aggregate data on changes in the nutrition situation in developing countries. Infant and child mortality and growth data are reviewed. These data reveal that progress has been made in many regions of the developing world in reducing infant and child mortality over the last 20 years. Less success is apparent in reducing the prevalence of linear growth retardation of preschool children. The importance of breast‐feeding and improved sanitary practices is stressed. This review is focused on the important role weaning foods can play in addition to other cultural and health inputs in improving growth and child survival in the developing world. Following a brief introduction to the weaning period, breast‐feeding and weaning practices in all regions of the developing world are reviewed. Weaning food developments, including compositional and processing alternatives, are then discussed in the context of nutritional requirements. Particular attention is devoted to various technologies to increase the energy density of weaning foods. In the context of all these factors, product specifications for weaning foods, as promulgated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, are presented and discussed. Finally, studies in which supplementary feeding programs have been evaluated are reviewed. The data discussed in this review suggest strongly that the timely introduction of properly prepared weaning foods has an important role to play in improving child survival and growth in the developing world. Emphasis in this review is placed on the advantages of centrally processed weaning foods, but clearly home/village‐prepared foods also have an important role to play. The review emphasizes elementary principles of home sanitation in the proper use of weaning foods. Also, other elements of successful child health programs need to be present, including encouragement of breast‐feeding, child spacing, immunization, growth monitoring, and provision of and instruction in the use of oral rehydration therapy when needed.