Baby Safety / Compounds / Ciguatoxin

Is Ciguatoxin safe for babies and kids?

Severe risk for kids

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

What is ciguatoxin?

The IUPAC name is (1R,3S,3'S,6R,8S,10R,12S,16R,18R,19R,20S,22R,25S,27R,29Z,32S,34R,36S,38R,40S,42R,43S,44S,45R,47S,48S,49S,50R,52S,54R,56R,58S,59R)-16-[(E,3S)-3,4-dihydroxybut-1-enyl]-43,44,49,54,58-pentamethylspiro[2,7,11,17,21,26,33,37,41,46,51,57-dodecaoxadodecacyclo[30.28.0.03,27.06,25.08,22.010,20.012,18.034,58.036,56.038,52.040,50.042,47]hexaconta-4,14,23,29-tetraene-45,5'-oxolane]-3',19,48,59-tetrol.

Also known as: (1R,3S,3'S,6R,8S,10R,12S,16R,18R,19R,20S,22R,25S,27R,29Z,32S,34R,36S,38R,40S,42R,43S,44S,45R,47S,48S,49S,50R,52S,54R,56R,58S,59R)-16-[(E,3S)-3,4-dihydroxybut-1-enyl]-43,44,49,54,58-pentamethylspiro[2,7,11,17,21,26,33,37,41,46,51,57-dodecaoxadodecacyclo[30.28.0.03,27.06,25.08,22.010,20.012,18.034,58.036,56.038,52.040,50.042,47]hexaconta-4,14,23,29-tetraene-45,5'-oxolane]-3',19,48,59-tetrol, Ciguatoxin 1, Ciguatoxin CTX 1, Ciguatoxins.

IUPAC name
(1R,3S,3'S,6R,8S,10R,12S,16R,18R,19R,20S,22R,25S,27R,29Z,32S,34R,36S,38R,40S,42R,43S,44S,45R,47S,48S,49S,50R,52S,54R,56R,58S,59R)-16-[(E,3S)-3,4-dihydroxybut-1-enyl]-43,44,49,54,58-pentamethylspiro[2,7,11,17,21,26,33,37,41,46,51,57-dodecaoxadodecacyclo[30.28.0.03,27.06,25.08,22.010,20.012,18.034,58.036,56.038,52.040,50.042,47]hexaconta-4,14,23,29-tetraene-45,5'-oxolane]-3',19,48,59-tetrol
CAS number
11050-21-8
Molecular formula
C60H86O19
Molecular weight
1111.3 g/mol
SMILES
CC1CC2C(CC3C(O2)C(C(C4C(O3)C(C(C5(O4)CC(CO5)O)C)C)O)C)OC6CC7C(C(CC8C(O7)CC=CCC9C(O8)C=CC2C(O9)C=CC3C(O2)CC2C(O3)C(C3C(O2)CC=CC(O3)C=CC(CO)O)O)O)(OC6C1)C
PubChem CID
5311333

Risk for babies

Severe risk

Infants are highly susceptible to Ciguatoxin 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 Ciguatoxin, 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 Ciguatoxin. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA—Advised against consuming barracudaAdvisory guidance related to ciguatoxin accumulation in certain fish species
IARC—Not classifiedIARC has not classified ciguatoxin

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 ciguatoxin

  • 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 Ciguatoxin:

  • 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 ciguatoxin safe for kids?

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

What products contain ciguatoxin?

Ciguatoxin 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 ciguatoxin?

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 Ciguatoxin in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US FDA/CFSAN: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning — Ciguatoxin, Gambierdiscus toxicus, Risk Species (Barracuda, Grouper, Snapper), Clinical Syndrome, and Import Alert Considerations (2022) (2022) — regulatory
  2. WHO Food Safety: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning — Epidemiology, Pacific/Caribbean/Indian Ocean CTX Variants, Minimum Toxic Dose, Global Burden, and Climate Change Expansion (2020) (2020) — regulatory

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 →