The cadmium-concentration in blood of 89 mothers and their newborns of different bavarian areas were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The results are within the frame of comparable recent national and international studies. A median value of 0.8 microgram Cd/l blood for the mothers resp. 0.3 microgram Cd/l for the newborns was found. The measured values ranged between 0.2 and 4.5 micrograms Cd/l for the mothers resp. 0.2 and 1.2 microgram Cd/l for the newborns. The significant difference between the cadmium-concentration in the blood samples of mothers and newborns confirms the existence of a placental barrier for cadmium. However, there was a significant correlation between the values measured for the mothers and their children (rk = 0.436). For the division into the three sub-collectives of Marktredwitz/Oberfranken, Freyung/Niederbayern und Erlangen/Mittelfranken (median values 0.6, 0.9 and 0.8 microgram Cd/l blood respectively) no significant differences could be observed. The blood-cadmium-concentrations of mothers and their newborns were not influenced by the age of the mother. An effect of the duration of the pregnancy could not be stated definitely because of a too small number of mothers with a low duration of pregnancy. A significant relationship exists between the smoking habits and the maternal blood-cadmium-concentrations. When dividing into subgroups the non-smokers show a median value of 0.6 microgram Cd/l blood, whereas the smokers have a median value of 1.1 microgram Cd/l blood. There were no significant differences between the blood-cadmium-concentrations of the newborns of smoking and non-smoking mothers. The median values were 0.3 microgram Cd/l blood for the children of non-smoking mothers respectively 0.4 microgram Cd/l blood for those of smoking mothers.