Baby Safety / Compounds / Saxitoxin (STX)

Is Saxitoxin (STX) safe for babies and kids?

Extreme risk for kids

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

What is saxitoxin (stx)?

The IUPAC name is [(3aS,4R,10aS)-2,6-diamino-10,10-dihydroxy-3a,4,8,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]purin-4-yl]methyl carbamate.

Also known as: [(3aS,4R,10aS)-2,6-diamino-10,10-dihydroxy-3a,4,8,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]purin-4-yl]methyl carbamate, SAXITOXIN, Saxitoxin hydrate, Gonyaulax catenella poison.

IUPAC name
[(3aS,4R,10aS)-2,6-diamino-10,10-dihydroxy-3a,4,8,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]purin-4-yl]methyl carbamate
CAS number
35523-89-8
Molecular formula
C10H17N7O4
Molecular weight
299.29 g/mol
SMILES
C1CN2C(=NC(C3C2(C1(O)O)NC(=N3)N)COC(=O)N)N
PubChem CID
56947150

Risk for babies

Extreme risk

Infants are highly susceptible to Saxitoxin (STX) 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 Saxitoxin (STX), 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 Saxitoxin (STX).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 8.3A (Category 1) (score: very high)

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 saxitoxin (stx)

  • 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 Saxitoxin (STX):

  • 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 saxitoxin (stx) safe for kids?

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

What products contain saxitoxin (stx)?

Saxitoxin (STX) 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 saxitoxin (stx)?

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 Saxitoxin (STX) in the baby app

Look up products containing saxitoxin (stx), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US FDA/CFSAN: Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) — Saxitoxin, Regulatory Limits (0.8 mg STX eq/kg), National Shellfish Sanitation Program Monitoring, and Human Dose-Response (2023) (2023) — regulatory
  2. EFSA Panel on Contaminants: Scientific Opinion on Marine Biotoxins — Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST), Acute Reference Dose (0.5 μg STX eq/kg bw), European Shellfish Monitoring, and Ecological Impacts (EFSA Journal 2009;1306) (2009) — 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 →