The disposition of diazepam has been studied in pregnant women at parturition. The plasma concentration of diazepam was monitored for at least 3 days in 18 women who received a single intravenous injection of 10 mg during the 10 h-period prior to delivery. Fourteen mothers had uneventful puerperia (Group I) and in 13 of these cases there was a pronounced postnatal increase in the plasma concentration of diazepam. The terminal phase half-life (t_1/2) was significantly greater for Group I (mean = 65 h; range = 24–114 h) than for age-matched non-pregnant patients (mean = 29 h; range = 18–44 h from literature). The prolonged t_1/2 appeared to be related to changes in the distribution of diazepam and not to a reduction in hepatic elimination since the total plasma clearance (Cl_tp) in these 14 pregnant patients (mean = 28 ml/min; range = 18–43 ml/min) was not reduced compared to that reported for non-pregnant controls (mean = 30 ml/min; range = 22–45 ml/min). Four mothers underwent postnatal surgery for tubal ligation (Group II) and the plasma concentration-time profiles for this group did not show the same postnatal phenomenon as did the profiles obtained for Group I. The t_1/2 for Group II was shorter (mean = 31 h; range = 24–37 h) than for Group I and similar to that for the non-pregnant controls. The Cl_tp for Group II was greater (mean = 56 ml/min; range = 48–63 ml/min) than for both Group I and non-pregnant controls. These results suggest that delivery alters the disposition of diazepam and is generally associated with a postnatal re-distribution of diazepam into the systemic circulation. The blood/plasma concentration ratio was determined in 9 patients (mean = 0.62; range = 0.54–0.77). There was no difference in the total blood clearance between the pregnant patients of Group I and the non-pregnant controls. In most cases the umbilical venous plasma concentration (C_puv) of diazepam was greater than the peripheral maternal venous plasma concentration (C_pmv) at delivery. The foetus appears to constitute a slowly equilibrating tissue-group in which diazepam does not reach equilibrium with the maternal systemic circulation for at least 5–10 h at which time the diazepam concentration in maternal and foetal plasma is similar.