A mother of four from Boston has shared a horrifying TikTok describing how her son, Hunter, was almost strangled by an amber teething necklance. Photo / TikTok
A mother of four from Boston has shared a horrifying TikTok describing how her son, Hunter, was almost strangled by an amber teething necklance. Photo / TikTok
Amber teething necklaces have seen an enormous rise in popularity over the last few years, but they don't come without risk, as one mother in America found out in the scariest way imaginable.
Mum-of-four Kasie, from Boston in the US, took to TikTok to share her scary brush with death.
When her 2-month-old baby was showing signs of teething pain she looked for something to help him. Having heard good things about amber teething necklaces, Kasie did her research and decided to purchase one.
The necklaces are made from fossilised tree resin and release succinic acid when it comes into contact with the gums. Although not scientifically proven, many believe that the succinic acid is a natural pain reliever, which is why it is considered suitable for teething.
Retailers and child safety experts alike warn that the necklaces should only be used when the child is closely supervised and never worn during sleep.
Kasie felt that she had done enough research to feel confident using the necklace on her child. She explained: "I contacted the company and took measurements to ensure it was the right fit."
The company advised Kasie that the necklace was "safe" but advised that it should only be worn when the child was closely monitored.
The horrified mother admits that she did not think the amber necklance was dangerous: "I thought it would never happen to me, until it did." Photo / TikTok
Kasie's baby boy, Hunter, wore the necklace for nine months without incident, until, one day, her worst fears came to pass. At 11 months Hunter was in his playroom, which is bordered by a baby gate.
Kasie explained: "We had a baby gate into his playroom and we were right next to the baby gate, we were playing on the floor and I was looking at my phone and then I noticed he was on his stomach right next to the baby gate.
"He was making weird noises and I thought he was just being silly and when I looked closer I noticed that the necklace was caught on the stopper on the baby gate and he was gasping for air. He was having a hard time breathing."
Kasie recalls that she tried to break the necklace, but began to panic and almost "blacked out" from panic, but luckily her partner was able to free Hunter.
Kasie added: "After we got him settled, we noticed he had bruises on his neck and those bruises lasted for a few weeks."
In her brutally honest video, Kasie admits that she had heard of at least one baby death caused by an amber necklace, but believed that would not happen to her.
She said: "I remember thinking 'that's just one baby, that kind of stuff doesn't happen to me, [his mum] must not have been watching him'.
"I thought it would never happen to me, until it did."
