Halothane: Evaluation of the effects on reproduction, recommendation for classification

On request of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, the Health Council of the Netherlands evaluates the effects on the reproduction of substances at the workplace. The Health Council’s Committee for Compounds Toxic to Reproduction recommends to classify compounds toxic to reproduction according to the Directive 93/21/EEC of the European Union. In the present report the committee has reviewed halothane.

The committee’s recommendations are:

• For effects on fertility, the committee recommends no classification of halothane, due to a lack of appropriate data.

• For developmental toxicity, the committee recommends to classify halothane in category 3 (Substances which cause concern for humans owing to possible developmental toxic effects) and to label halothane with R63 (possible risk of harm to the unborn child).

• For effects during lactation, the committee is of the opinion that due to a lack of appropriate data halothane should not be labelled with R64.

Committee