Baby Safety / Compounds / Calamus oil (beta-asarone)

Is Calamus oil (beta-asarone) safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

Infants are highly susceptible to Calamus oil (beta-asarone) due to lower body weight, immature detoxification pathways, and dietary exposure through contaminated grains or breast milk.

What is calamus oil (beta-asarone)?

Also known as: Calamus Oil, Аирное масло.

CAS number
8015-79-0

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Infants are highly susceptible to Calamus oil (beta-asarone) 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

Severe risk

Abortifacient; beta-asarone is teratogenic in animal models

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Calamus oil (beta-asarone).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EDC Assessment—Suspected endocrine disruptor

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 calamus oil (beta-asarone)

  • Personal Care — perfume (historical), aromatherapy
  • Food — flavoring (restricted)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Calamus oil (beta-asarone):

  • 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 calamus oil (beta-asarone) safe for kids?

Infants are highly susceptible to Calamus oil (beta-asarone) due to lower body weight, immature detoxification pathways, and dietary exposure through contaminated grains or breast milk.

What products contain calamus oil (beta-asarone)?

Calamus oil (beta-asarone) appears in: perfume (historical) (Personal care); aromatherapy (Personal care); flavoring (restricted) (Food).

What should I do if my child is exposed to calamus oil (beta-asarone)?

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 Calamus oil (beta-asarone) in the baby app

Look up products containing calamus oil (beta-asarone), 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 →