Baby Safety / Compounds / Difenacoum

Is Difenacoum 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 Difenacoum, 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 difenacoum?

The IUPAC name is 4-hydroxy-3-[3-(4-phenylphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl]chromen-2-one.

Also known as: 4-hydroxy-3-[3-(4-phenylphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl]chromen-2-one, Neosorexa, Diphenacoum, Difenakum.

IUPAC name
4-hydroxy-3-[3-(4-phenylphenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-yl]chromen-2-one
CAS number
56073-07-5
Molecular formula
C31H24O3
Molecular weight
444.5 g/mol
SMILES
C1C(CC2=CC=CC=C2C1C3=C(C4=CC=CC=C4OC3=O)O)C5=CC=C(C=C5)C6=CC=CC=C6
PubChem CID
54676884

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Difenacoum, 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 Difenacoum, 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 Difenacoum.

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 difenacoum

  • 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 Difenacoum:

  • Integrated Pest Management (IPM); Biopesticides; Physical controls
    Trade-offs: Combines biological, cultural, and targeted chemical controls; reduces overall chemical use 30-70%; requires trained practitioners and monitoring infrastructure; higher management complexity; proven effective at scale in many crop systems.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain difenacoum?

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

See Difenacoum in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US EPA: Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) — Risk Mitigation Decision; brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum; non-target wildlife secondary poisoning; restriction to certified pest control operators; tamper-resistant bait stations; consumer product phase-out (2011) (2011) — regulatory
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Rodenticide Toxicosis in Dogs and Cats — anticoagulant SGARs/FGARs; bromethalin; cholecalciferol; zinc phosphide; vitamin K1 dosing; decontamination windows; INR monitoring; prognosis by rodenticide class (2023) (2023) — veterinary

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 →