Baby Safety / Compounds / Antimony trioxide

Is Antimony trioxide 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 Antimony trioxide, 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 antimony trioxide?

The IUPAC name is Diantimony trioxide.

Also known as: Diantimony trioxide, Antimonious oxide, Antimony sesquioxide, Exitelite.

IUPAC name
Diantimony trioxide
CAS number
1309-64-4
Molecular formula
Sb2O3
Molecular weight
291.51 g/mol
SMILES
[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Sb+3].[Sb+3]
PubChem CID
14794

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Antimony trioxide, 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 Antimony trioxide, 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

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Antimony trioxide. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
IARC——

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 antimony trioxide

  • flame retardant additive
  • textile industry
  • plastics manufacturing
  • paint production

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Antimony trioxide:

  • Aluminum trihydrate (ATH)
    Trade-offs: Requires 5-10× higher loading to match flame retardancy. Increases material weight and reduces mechanical properties.
    Relative cost: 0.3×
  • Zinc stannate / zinc hydroxystannate
    Trade-offs: Higher cost. Lower smoke suppression in some polymer systems.
    Relative cost: 3-5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain antimony trioxide?

Antimony trioxide appears in: flame retardant additive; textile industry; plastics manufacturing.

See Antimony trioxide in the baby app

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

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Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 1309-64-4 — reference

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 →