Baby Safety / Compounds / Hydrogen cyanide

Is Hydrogen cyanide 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 Hydrogen cyanide, 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 hydrogen cyanide?

The IUPAC name is formonitrile.

Also known as: formonitrile, hydrocyanic acid, Prussic acid, Blausaeure.

IUPAC name
formonitrile
CAS number
74-90-8
Molecular formula
CHN
Molecular weight
27.025 g/mol
SMILES
C#N
PubChem CID
768

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Hydrogen cyanide, 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 Hydrogen cyanide, 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

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Hydrogen cyanide. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
IARC—Not classified as a carcinogen
US EPA—Not classified as a carcinogen
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Serious eye damage/eye irritation - Category 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 2A-2B (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 6.4A (Category 2A) (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Category 6.3A (Category 2) (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Sensitization: Category 6.5B (Category 1) (score: moderate)

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 hydrogen cyanide

  • 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 Hydrogen cyanide:

  • Process redesign to avoid hazardous intermediates
    Trade-offs: May require significant R&D investment. Not always feasible.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain hydrogen cyanide?

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

Why do regulators disagree about hydrogen cyanide?

Hydrogen cyanide has been classified by 7 agencies including IARC, US EPA, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, 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 Hydrogen cyanide in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (4)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Cyanide (2006) — report
  2. CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response: Cyanide — Medical Management Guidelines (2018) — report
  3. NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Hydrogen Cyanide (2019) — regulatory
  4. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Cyanide Toxicosis in Companion Animals (2020) — report

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 →