Pregnant rats fed normal and Zn-deficient diets were treated with oral daily doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg salicylic acid from d 16–20 of gestation. This treatment caused a dose-dependent reduction in fetal body weight. Serum Zn concentration in the Zn-deficient dams was increased by salicylate. Zinc content in fetal livers was reduced by salicylate treatment. This effect was more pronounced in the control fetuses. The reduction in fetal liver Zn by salicylate and Zn deficiency was parallel to the reduction in Zn-metallothionein. Total Zn content in fetal kidney was not significantly affected by salicylate and Zn deficiency. Zinc bound to cytoplasmic high-molecular-weight proteins in fetal liver and kidney was not significantly reduced by Zn deficiency and salicylate. Other elements were not affected by salicylate treatment. Some of the fetuses from salicylate-treated Zn-deficient dams developed hydrops and hydronephrosis.