Baby Safety / Compounds / Tefluthrin

Is Tefluthrin 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 Tefluthrin, 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 tefluthrin?

The IUPAC name is trans-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-methylphenyl)methyl (1S,3S)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate.

Also known as: trans-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-methylphenyl)methyl (1S,3S)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate, Force, Forza, Tefluthrine.

IUPAC name
trans-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-methylphenyl)methyl (1S,3S)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate
CAS number
79538-32-2
Molecular formula
C17H14ClF7O2
Molecular weight
418.7 g/mol
SMILES
CC1=C(C(=C(C(=C1F)F)COC(=O)C2C(C2(C)C)C=C(C(F)(F)F)Cl)F)F
PubChem CID
11534837

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

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

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Not Yet Determined

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 tefluthrin

  • 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 Tefluthrin:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain tefluthrin?

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

See Tefluthrin in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US EPA Pyrethroid Reregistration Eligibility Decision — cypermethrin/deltamethrin/lambda-cyhalothrin/bifenthrin/cyfluthrin/fenvalerate/tau-fluvalinate/fenpropathrin; type I/II classification; aquatic toxicity; cat sensitivity; sodium channel mechanism; human paresthesia; buffer zones (2011) (2011) — 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 →