Baby Safety / Compounds / Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)

Is Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) safe for babies and kids?

Extreme risk for kids

Infants have immature drug-metabolizing enzymes (CYP450 ontogeny), reduced renal clearance, and different volume of distribution. Accidental exposure or breast milk transfer of Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) poses heightened risk.

What is ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)?

The IUPAC name is (8R,9S,13S,14S,17R)-17-ethynyl-13-methyl-7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16-octahydro-6H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3,17-diol.

Also known as: (8R,9S,13S,14S,17R)-17-ethynyl-13-methyl-7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16-octahydro-6H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3,17-diol, ethinyl estradiol, ETHINYLESTRADIOL, Ethynylestradiol.

IUPAC name
(8R,9S,13S,14S,17R)-17-ethynyl-13-methyl-7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16-octahydro-6H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthrene-3,17-diol
CAS number
57-63-6
Molecular formula
C20H24O2
Molecular weight
296.4 g/mol
SMILES
[H][C@@]12CC[C@@](O)(C#C)[C@@]1(C)CC[C@]1([H])C3=C(CC[C@@]21[H])C=C(O)C=C3
PubChem CID
5991

Risk for babies

Extreme risk

Infants have immature drug-metabolizing enzymes (CYP450 ontogeny), reduced renal clearance, and different volume of distribution. Accidental exposure or breast milk transfer of Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) poses heightened risk.

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

High risk

GHS Danger classification. Classified for reproductive toxicity. Carcinogenicity concern during pregnancy.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / NTP RoC—Known Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / CalEPA—Known human carcinogen
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 4 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 4 negative reports)

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 ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient):

  • Ester quats (diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride)
    Trade-offs: Slightly different performance feel
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) safe for kids?

Infants have immature drug-metabolizing enzymes (CYP450 ontogeny), reduced renal clearance, and different volume of distribution. Accidental exposure or breast milk transfer of Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) poses heightened risk.

What products contain ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)?

Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Waste treatment sites (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

What should I do if my child is exposed to ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)?

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.

Why do regulators disagree about ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient)?

Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Ethinylestradiol (EE2, oral contraceptive active ingredient) in the baby app

Look up products containing ethinylestradiol (ee2, oral contraceptive active ingredient), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 5991 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID5020576 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 57-63-6 — 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 →