Amber teething necklaces - help or hype?

Amber teething necklaces - helpful or harmful?

A few years ago my baby was battling with teething. Red, angry face, copious amounts of drool, and a very unsettled bub - it was no fun for anyone.

I had a moan to another mum and she immediately recommended an amber teething necklace. She showed me one.

"Do they chew on them?" I asked.

"The beads look a little small. Like they could be a choking hazard."

She explained that the baby wore the beads around their neck and the healing properties of the amber would transfer to, and soothe, the child.

WHAT? Why, for the love of God, are we advocating putting things around baby's necks? Since when did this become a thing? Couldn't they be strangled? And how, exactly, did the amber work to stop teething pain? I was skeptical to say the least.

My friend was uncertain about the mechanics, but said the beads had stopped all symptoms of teething for her daughter almost immediately, and had miraculously worked for some other teething tots too. Once I had been told about these miracle cures, I began noticing little necklaces around little necks everywhere.

Of course no one wants to see their child experiencing pain and the testimonial was compelling.

But I was still dubious so I did a little research.

It turns out the amber has to be heated to around 200 degrees before any of the so-called anti-inflammatory succinic acid can be released. So my baby's 36.6 degrees wouldn't quite cut it. I also found a whole host of warning messages on various sites. Guess what, kids have been strangled by these things. So why on earth would anyone give them a go?

The manufacturers insist they are safe, with each bead threaded individually so only one falls off if the necklace breaks. They also have warnings on the packs that the necklaces should only be used under supervision. To me, though, the risks far outweigh any potential perceived benefit.

I read with interest this article on research that says us mums trust the information we hear from our peers far more than what we're told elsewhere - even by medical professionals. So when we hear how Jane's baby miraculously stopped screaming and slept peacefully through the night the minute she stuck a necklace on him, we think we should give it a go because we'll have the same result. I get that. But when it comes to things that could potentially harm our children, surely common sense should prevail? If you're going to make your baby wear a necklace, please heed consumer advice and take it off when they sleep. Or better yet, just give this fad a miss altogether.

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