Food is the main source of human exposure to essential and toxic metals, including cadmium (Cd). This investigation aimed to assess the effects of oral Cd exposure during rat pregnancy on Cd distribution and micronutrient status in a maternal organism and foetus and placental functions in nutrient transport and steroid hormone synthesis. Research hypotheses were that Cd gastrointestinal absorption increases during pregnancy and Cd accumulates in the placenta where it may interfere with nutrient transport to the foetus and placental hormone biosynthesis. Female rats (Wistar) were mated and exposed to 50 mg Cd/l (as CdCl2xH2O) in drinking water from gestation day 1 through 19 or 20. Non-pregnant rats were concurrently exposed during 20 days under the same exposure conditions. On the last experimental day, under general anaesthesia, blood was taken by cardiac puncture from all of the rats and internal organs, placentas and foetuses were dissected and prepared for element analysis (by AAS). Progesterone and testosterone were assayed by immunochemical methods directly in sera (by IEMA) and in placental tissue-derived samples (by IEMA and/or ELISA). All of the exposed rats exhibited increases in Cd in all of the analysed samples and zinc in the liver. Contents of iron in the foetus and zinc in the foetus and/or placenta were decreased. In exposed pregnant vs. exposed non-pregnant rats, more pronounced increases in Cd concentration in the blood and Cd contents in the liver and kidney, decreases in iron contents in the liver and kidney, and decreases in zinc and copper contents in the kidney were recorded. In all pregnant vs. non-pregnant rats, higher Cd concentrations in the blood and copper content in the kidney and lower iron contents in the liver and kidney and copper content in the liver were found. Steroid hormones did not change in either the serum or placenta; in the latter the values of either hormone measured by two immunochemical assays were correlated. In conclusion, this work provides original evidence on progesterone and testosterone (as the precursor for the ovarian oestradiol synthesis) in rat serum and placenta at term. New and original research results are that oral Cd exposure to 6.5 mg Cd/kg body mass in drink during rat pregnancy increases levels of Cd in the blood, liver and kidney with consequent biochemical changes of micronutrients more pronouncedly than in non-pregnant rats, which together with accumulation of Cd in the placenta disrupts the transplacental handover of iron and zinc and may put at risk foetal growth and development in utero.