Baby Safety / Compounds / Brevetoxin B

Is Brevetoxin B safe for babies and kids?

High risk for kids

Not medical or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a qualified clinician — consult one. Full disclaimer →

Infants are highly susceptible to Brevetoxin B due to lower body weight, immature detoxification pathways, and dietary exposure through contaminated grains or breast milk.

What is brevetoxin b?

The IUPAC name is 2-[[(1R,3S,5R,7S,9R,11S,12S,14R,16R,18S,20R,21Z,24S,26R,28S,30R,31R,33S,35R,37S,42R,44S,46R,48S)-12-hydroxy-1,3,11,24,31,41,44-heptamethyl-39-oxo-2,6,10,15,19,25,29,34,38,43,47-undecaoxaundecacyclo[26.22.0.03,26.05,24.07,20.09,18.011,16.030,48.033,46.035,44.037,42]pentaconta-21,40-dien-14-yl]methyl]prop-2-enal.

Also known as: 79580-28-2, 8WBN7K7T6Z, 2-[[(1R,3S,5R,7S,9R,11S,12S,14R,16R,18S,20R,21Z,24S,26R,28S,30R,31R,33S,35R,37S,42R,44S,46R,48S)-12-hydroxy-1,3,11,24,31,41,44-heptamethyl-39-oxo-2,6,10,15,19,25,29,34,38,43,47-undecaoxaundecacyclo[26.22.0.03,26.05,24.07,20.09,18.011,16.030,48.033,46.035,44.037,42]pentaconta-21,40-dien-14-yl]methyl]prop-2-enal, 2-(((1R,3S,5R,7S,9R,11S,12S,14R,16R,18S,20R,21Z,24S,26R,28S,30R,31R,33S,35R,37S,42R,44S,46R,48S)-12-hydroxy-1,3,11,24,31,41,44-heptamethyl-39-oxo-2,6,10,15,19,25,29,34,38,43,47-undecaoxaundecacyclo(26.22.0.03,26.05,24.07,20.09,18.011,16.030,48.033,46.035,44.037,42)pentaconta-21,40-dien-14-yl)methyl)prop-2-enal.

IUPAC name: 2-[[(1R,3S,5R,7S,9R,11S,12S,14R,16R,18S,20R,21Z,24S,26R,28S,30R,31R,33S,35R,37S,42R,44S,46R,48S)-12-hydroxy-1,3,11,24,31,41,44-heptamethyl-39-oxo-2,6,10,15,19,25,29,34,38,43,47-undecaoxaundecacyclo[26.22.0.03,26.05,24.07,20.09,18.011,16.030,48.033,46.035,44.037,42]pentaconta-21,40-dien-14-yl]methyl]prop-2-enal
CAS number: 98112-41-5
Molecular formula: C49H70O13
Molecular weight: 867.1 g/mol
SMILES: C[C@@H]1C[C@H]2[C@@H](C[C@]3([C@H](O2)C[C@H]4[C@H](O3)C(=CC(=O)O4)C)C)O[C@@H]5[C@@H]1O[C@H]6C[C@@H]7[C@](C[C@@H]8[C@@](O7)(C/C=C\[C@@H]9[C@@H](O8)C[C@@H]1[C@@H](O9)C[C@@H]2[C@@](O1)([C@H](C[C@H](O2)CC(=C)C=O)O)C)C)(O[C@@]6(CC5)C)C
PubChem CID: 10865865

Risk for babies

High risk

Infants are highly susceptible to Brevetoxin B due to lower body weight, immature detoxification pathways, and dietary exposure through contaminated grains or breast milk.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Brevetoxin B, 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 Brevetoxin B.

Agency	Year	Classification	Notes
NSSP/FDA	—	0.8 mg brevetoxin equivalents/kg shellfish tissue	NSP regulatory limit

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 brevetoxin b

Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Brevetoxin B:

Avoidance (no chemical substitute)
Trade-offs: Direct chemical substitution requires verification that the replacement does not introduce new hazards (regrettable substitution). Conduct full hazard assessment of proposed alternative before adoption.

Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is brevetoxin b safe for kids?

Infants are highly susceptible to Brevetoxin B due to lower body weight, immature detoxification pathways, and dietary exposure through contaminated grains or breast milk.

What products contain brevetoxin b?

Brevetoxin B appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

What should I do if my child is exposed to brevetoxin b?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

See Brevetoxin B in the baby app

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

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Sources (2)

US FDA/CFSAN: Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) — Brevetoxin, Karenia brevis, Regulatory Limit (0.8 mg/kg), NSP Monitoring, and Comparison with Ciguatoxin Mechanism (2022) (2022) — regulatory
NOAA: Karenia brevis and Florida Red Tide — Bloom Monitoring, Respiratory Health Effects of Aerosolized Brevetoxin, Fish and Manatee Mortality Events, and Gulf Coast Early Warning System (2023) (2023) — regulatory

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