Baby Safety / Compounds / Acetophenone

Is Acetophenone safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Acetophenone, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is acetophenone?

Also known as: 1-Phenylethanone, Methyl phenyl ketone, Phenyl methyl ketone, Acetylbenzene.

CAS number
98-86-2
Molecular formula
C8H8O
Molecular weight
120.15 g/mol
SMILES
CC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1
PubChem CID
7410

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Acetophenone, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Acetophenone, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Acetophenone.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
Unknown——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter acetophenone

  • Industrial Facilities — solvent, chemical intermediate
  • Consumer Products — some fragrances, pharmaceuticals

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Acetophenone:

  • Cyclohexanone
    Trade-offs: Industrial process alternative; requires compatibility testing with existing equipment and processes; regulatory compliance verification needed; cost and availability may vary by region.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Water-based systems
    Trade-offs: Industrial process alternative; requires compatibility testing with existing equipment and processes; regulatory compliance verification needed; cost and availability may vary by region.
    Relative cost: 0.8-1.5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain acetophenone?

Acetophenone appears in: solvent (Industrial facilities); chemical intermediate (Industrial facilities); some fragrances (Consumer products); pharmaceuticals (Consumer products).

See Acetophenone in the baby app

Look up products containing acetophenone, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. PubChem Compound Database (2026) — database

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →