FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings	$ 115,000,000	$ 117,000,000
Extinguishment Of Debt Disclosures [Abstract]
Extinguishment of Debt, Principal Value	71,000,000	750,000,000	117,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Repurchase Price	78,000,000	855,000,000	132,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Notional amount of interest rate swaps terminated	34,000,000	319,000,000	53,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Swap Termination Proceeds	6,000,000	48,000,000	7,000,000
Loss/(Gain) on debt repurchase	(10,000,000)	6,000,000	(7,000,000)
Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	2,000,000,000	1,500,000,000
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	4,669,000,000	4,749,000,000
Adjustments to Principal Value, Fair value of interest rate swaps	135,000,000	234,000,000
Adjustments to Principal Value, Unamortized basis adjustment from swap terminations	594,000,000	369,000,000
Adjustments to Principal Value, Unamortized bond discounts	(22,000,000)	(24,000,000)
Total Long-term debt	5,376,000,000	5,328,000,000
Principal value of debt maturing in 2013	597,000,000
Principal value of debt maturing in 2016	652,000,000
Principal value of debt maturing after 2016	3,420,000,000
Long-term debt, Fair value	6,406,000,000	5,861,000,000
Interest payments	171,000,000	178,000,000	206,000,000
Financial guarantees in the form of stand-by letters of credit and perfomance bonds	233,000,000
Notes Due 2036 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	638,000,000	709,000,000
Euro Notes Due 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	652,000,000	656,000,000
Euro Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	652,000,000	656,000,000
Notes Due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	600,000,000	600,000,000
Notes Due 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	597,000,000	597,000,000
Notes Due 2038 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	500,000,000	500,000,000
Debentures Due 2097 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	287,000,000	287,000,000
Other Debt Maturing 2023 To 2030 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	107,000,000	108,000,000
Debentures Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	304,000,000	304,000,000
Debentures Due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	332,000,000	332,000,000
Floating Rate Convertible Senior Debentures Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value	50,000,000
Floating Rate Convertible Senior Debentures due 2023, Conversion price	$ 40.42
Floating Rate Convertible Senior Debentures due 2023, Principal amount to be converted	1,000
Floating Rate Convertible Senior Debentures due 2023, Conversion ratio in shares	24.7429
Mead Johnson Nutrition Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal value			1,500,000,000
Revolving credit facility, Amount outstanding			200,000,000
Bank Overdrafts [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings	113,000,000	100,000,000
Other Short Term Borrowings [Member]
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings	$ 2,000,000	$ 17,000,000