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It has been shown that corticosteroids may have a role in parturition in sheep even though their exact mode of action is still unknown. Dexamethasone (Dx) was found to be extremely active and effective when infused at a dose of 0·05 mg/24 h into the foetus although 40 times this dose was ineffective when given to the ewe (Liggins, 1969). Previous work in this field (Bayard, Ances, Tapper, Weldon, Kowarski & Migeon, 1970) led us to consider that higher doses given to the ewe would have been active. In these conditions a study of the transplacental passage of [³H]dexamethasone was undertaken.

Three ewes, about 45–50 kg body weight, were surgically prepared. The exact conceptual age was unknown: one foetus was near term, i.e. 5 months old; the two others were about 119–126 days old as judged by tooth eruption and wool covering the body. The technical procedure has been