Female outbred albino rats were daily subjected to forced inhalations of peat smoke (4 cores packed with a mixture of peat (70%) and wood pulp (30%); 0.46 g, pH a parts per thousand yen5.5) per se and in combination with oral afobazole (anxiolytic) on days 1-20 of pregnancy. Exposure to peat smoke inhibited body weight gain in pregnant rats, caused an increase of postimplantation deaths, reduction of fetal weights, and an increase in the number of hematomas and hemorrhages in fetuses. Afobazole in doses of 1 and 10 mg/kg reduced significantly the untoward effects of peat smoke on fetal development.