Baby Safety / Compounds / Flumethrin

Is Flumethrin safe for babies and kids?

Elevated risk for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Flumethrin, 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 flumethrin?

The IUPAC name is [cyano-(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] 3-[2-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate.

Also known as: [cyano-(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] 3-[2-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate, Bayticol, Bayvarol, Flumetrin.

IUPAC name
[cyano-(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] 3-[2-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate
CAS number
69770-45-2
Molecular formula
C28H22Cl2FNO3
Molecular weight
510.4 g/mol
SMILES
CC1(C(C1C(=O)OC(C#N)C2=CC(=C(C=C2)F)OC3=CC=CC=C3)C=C(C4=CC=C(C=C4)Cl)Cl)C
PubChem CID
91702

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Flumethrin, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.

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

Elevated risk

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Flumethrin, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.

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 Flumethrin.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
WHO—Class II

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 flumethrin

  • 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 Flumethrin:

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain flumethrin?

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

See Flumethrin in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US EPA: Seresto Collar Incident Data Review — imidacloprid and flumethrin; adverse event reports; flea and tick collar; cat and dog toxicosis; aquatic risk; human dermal transfer; sustained-release polymer matrix; 8-month efficacy; FIFRA risk assessment (2021) (2021) — regulatory
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Pyrethroid Toxicosis in Cats and Dogs — type I vs type II CS/T syndromes; extreme cat sensitivity (sodium channel/UGT deficiency); bathing decontamination; methocarbamol tremor control; cyproheptadine; lipid emulsion severe cases (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 →