Amber Teething Necklaces: Helpful or Hype?
Hey, woman! Just found your site and am loving it. (OMG HOW DOES ANYONE NURSE WITHOUT A SMARTPHONE?! Needless to say, I’ve now read, like, half your posts ever since the baby is having a growth spurt and eating constantly.)
Anyhow, you and I seem to be a similar degree of granola-crunchy but not dirty-hippy, so here goes. I’m a cloth diapering, clothesline-using, breastfeeding, Ergo-wearing, organic container-gardening, babyfood making, composting AND worm farm type of gal. Dear lord I can’t believe I just typed that. (Oh crap, maybe I *am* a dirty hippy.)
I like going the natural route if possible, but on the other hand I’m a scientist by trade and I HEART FACTS! So a lot of this magnetic-bracelet/aura healing crystals/green tea detoxifying foot patches, etc. just PISSES ME OFF.
SO, onnnnn to the question! Amber teething necklaces. Do they work? I get that they contain succinic acid, which is an anti-inflammatory, but… ya know… really? And do the possible benefits outweigh putting BEADS on your BABY!? (I think my baby is making NOM NOM NOM noises just thinking about ripping such a thing off and devouring it.) Uh, choking hazard much?
So what do you think?
Signed,
Skeptical Dirty Hippy Scientist
Did you steal my brain? Were we separated at the birthin’ place many many years ago? Because like you, I feel like the most curmudgeonly skeptical hippy in the world sometimes. Yes, we cloth diaper and baby-wear and make our own baby food and grow vegetables and compost and shun anything processed and artificial and recycle and all of that, but…well, I chose my green/natural initiatives after reading, you know, FACTS that changed my mind and laid out the benefits clearly and objectively. I am not the moron from the pro-HFCS commercials who just says “oh, that’s bad for you!” because I maybe heard it from somebody somewhere and then stares blankly when asked to elaborate. Ask ME why we don’t consume HFCS and you’ll get a damn lecture with Powerpoint, at the end of which you will probably run away screaming and swear to never talk to me again, because ANNOYING.
But…amber teething necklaces. Yeah. I’ve never owned one. Never really thought about owning one. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this wives’ tale gone mainstream: Baltic amber contains a “natural analgesic” that can, in theory, be absorbed through your skin to relieve pain. Here’s the wiki on succinic acid, where there is indeed a passing mention of it being historically used to relieve aches and pains — though just how far back in history isn’t mentioned. Today, you’ll often see amber advertised for back pain and arthritis, but also for teething pain. Mothering message boards are chock full of parents who SWEAR the necklaces work, or at least helped, though there are usually a couple people who say the opposite, or admit that it’s little more than a placebo effect for exhausted parents. He’s not crying at this particular moment! He slept better last night! Well, yes, teething pain does come and go, and sometimes we misdiagnose all sorts of other crankiness/discomfort as ongoing “teething”…but he’s wearing the necklace! That HAS TO BE IT.
I have two problems with the necklaces, even if we do buy into the idea that succinic acid is strong and concentrated enough in the jewelry to be absorbed THROUGH YOUR SKIN, INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM and STILL be strong enough to make it to the source of pain — better than or equal to, say, a straight liquid analgesic like Tylenol or Motrin, or teething tablets inserted directly by the gums:
1) A lot of what’s sold as “amber” these days is actually mostly resin OR has been treated artificially to look pretty and sparkly and sun-kissed. There’s a very high scammy quotient among products being specifically sold as “healing” amber. Basically, if you decide to buy a cheap one just to see if it works at all, you’re probably still getting ripped off with stones that don’t really contain much of the magic acid in the first place. (True Baltic amber contains about an 8% concentration of the stuff.) I’m sure there are reputable places selling the real deal, but be prepared to do some research first and educate yourself on how to spot real Baltic amber before buying the first necklace you see because it looks cute.
2) Beaded jewelry on a baby. Around their NECK, even. I just…yeah. I have a hard time being not nervous about that part. I just came from a message board where MULTIPLE PEOPLE admitted that they NEVER took the necklaces off — even at night. And others simply wrapped it around their baby’s wrist or ankle at night, convinced that it was the reason their fussy baby was sleeping better, and that the baby wouldn’t be able to figure out how get it of since it was under their clothes or something. People: I don’t care how sturdy the construction is or how safe the clasp claims to be, or what ancient cultures used to let their babies wear, please please please don’t put your infants in a crib unsupervised with beaded jewelry wrapped around their necks or limbs, okay?
Personally, after the amount of research I’ve done just on the topic of pregnancy and TOPICAL chemicals, oils, and other ingredients in health and beauty products, I remain incredibly skeptical of the idea that enough of the acid inside a stone could really enter a baby’s bloodstream in amounts that would have a real, profound effect on pain. I mean, think of all the crazy nasty stuff in hair dye, and the relatively insignificant amount that actually gets through your scalp. (I guess that’s the justification for letting babies wear the necklaces 24/7?)
However, there’s obviously a pretty decent and vocal population out there who swear the necklaces worked, or were even their own personal teething lifesaver. You know? Good for you. I’m glad you found something that worked. If you want to give them away as shower presents because they worked so great, that’s really no different than any parent praising their own favorite baby product to the skies. Replace “amber teething necklaces” with Miracle Blankets/obscure pacifier brands/gripe water or whatever One Thing we all have that in our minds, is the Greatest Thing Ever because it worked well for our particular baby.
And seriously, I get that I am technically knocking something I have not tried. The most obnoxious thing ever, right? Personally, teething was all over the place for us. Both of my boys were early teethers, and prone to getting teeth rapid-fire, one right after another. Sometimes they’d just wake up with a tooth, like it was no big deal at all…and then the next tooth involved a protracted period of misery and drool and crankiness. I used Tylenol and Motrin sparingly — never in amounts I felt were excessive, but whenever it was undeniable that they were seriously in pain. I used Hyland’s teething tablets, which HA HA IRONY, have now been brought under scrutiny by the FDA. I always thought they did a great job, but — again, HA HA — other parents find them completely useless. (And I imagine the increased popularity of the amber jewelry could go hand in hand with parents trying to find an alternative to the tablets, now that even THOSE have been flagged as worrisome. We cannot win.)
Other than that, we survived teething (including molars!) just fine, with chewy rings and toys and letting them chew on cold washcloths. Ezra liked to gum on nice cold pickles or carrots — supervised, always, while Noah preferred those tried-and-true plain old plastic teething beads. I did own one piece of teething jewelry…for myself. I wore a Smart Mom Teething Bling necklace for Ezra to grab and pull and gnaw on to his heart’s content. We got an amazing amount of traction and entertainment out of that pendant. It was awesome, with no quasi-science involved other than babies like to pull and chew on Mama’s necklaces more than anything already, so why not just wear something kind of cool-looking that makes it okay?
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Okay, usually I agree with Amy, but I’m going with the cliche “don’t knock it till you’ve tried” it line this time.
I didn’t use a teething necklace on my first baby, mostly because I was skeptical and didn’t want to shell out $20 or so for something that wouldn’t work. He was a horrendous teether, and we gave him tons of Motrin and Tylenol, which I felt terrible about, but the kid was miserable. My second baby got her first tooth, was miserable, and I broke down and bought one. She never suffered through getting a tooth after that, except for once when the necklace got lost, we had a terrible night up with her while she screamed about a tooth that was breaking through, and I broke down and ordered another. My third baby is currently wearing a teething necklace, and it has seemed to work for him as well. Saying that the parents are just claiming that it works to make themselves feel better is like saying the exact same thing about Tylenol. You’ll know if it is working.
Some things to know:
1. I got my necklaces from a company called Inspired by Finn, which is a reputable company that sells real Baltic Amber
2. The darker colors of amber have a higher concentration of succinic acid, so at least pick one with multiple colors of beads (dark and light), rather than just light.
3. Look for strands that have knots in between each bead, so should the necklace break, your baby won’t be surrounded by tons of loose beads.
4. Some places sell magnetic clasps, so that the necklace will pop off if pressure is applied. Others have regular screw type clasps.
5. The cords are apparently not made to withstand a ton of force, so if the baby gets caught by the necklace, it would break rather than choke the baby. We’ve never had a chance to test this, so I can’t personally confirm it.
6. I tuck the necklace under the baby’s clothes so they’re not getting ahold of it to chew/pull/get caught. It has never really been a problem. They don’t really even notice that it is on.
Baltic amber necklaces are extremely common in Europe for teething babies. My dad is from France, and none of his relatives bat an eye when they see the necklaces. They’re sold all over the place there, and everyone seems to know what they are and accept that they really do work.
I hope teething goes smoothly regardless of what you choose!
This could not be more timely for me. I was just reading posts about someone using them on a message board the other day, and was wondering what the heck they were talking about. I totally agree with you about the placebo effect, Amy. But I think I was cut from the same cloth as you and the OP.
Wow, there are a bunch of us out there! I’m actually a scientist (I’m a biologist/toxicologist)/ dirty hippy mom too.
I’d like to chime in that I absolutely agree- it’ seems very unlikely that a baby would be getting succinic acid in therapeutic doses by chewing on amber. I’m skeptical, also, about if there actually is any analgesic effect of succinic acid- I did a quick search of the scientific literature, and nothing seems to be jumping out documenting its use as a pain-killer, it looks like it’s more used in the synthesis of other drugs. And honestly, the choking risk really seems to outweigh the hypothetical benefit, in my opinion, even if it does work.
I know moms want to go with a ‘natural’ solution to problems, but you have to be careful. Not only is the delivery method potentially a choking hazard, but you do have to remember that even natural chemicals are CHEMICALS, so there’s potential for them to have adverse effects within the body, just like synthetic chemicals.
Hello I am not a dirty hippy, but do just about all the things that you do for your kids. I come from a family with engineers, doctors and other very logically minded people, not to mention that one side of the family is French and thinks that half of what I do is because I am a crazy Californian. I don’t get on too many bandwagons.
So here is our story about how we were won over by the amber necklace. Our baby boy had an awful case of skin rash on his neck from incessant drooling. I kept his neck clean and dry and also tried some creams but nothing worked. One day I took him to the doctor for a check-up and the pediatrician (who had always given me very good advice) recommended that he wear an amber necklace. I immediately replied with a ‘you gotta be kidding me?!’ She told me that the calming teething pain part of amber necklace is an old wives tale that comes from the fact that in many cultures babies were given necklaces to wear while teething. They were not given the necklaces, however, to calm the pain, but to alleviate skin irritations from drooling. The succinic acid is drying and soothing to the skin’s surface. I immediately went and bought one from a high quality source. My entire family laughed at me when they saw it… but they were not laughing one week after when our boy’s rash was gone and never came back!
I took it off of him at night, because I was scared of choking. He chewed on it for a bit in the beginning, but then he forgot about it. It was of course a high quality child safe necklace. Each bead was knotted.
If your kid has neck rash… I highly recommend this product.
Haven’t tried the amber necklace because my daughter didn’t seem to have too much trouble teething. The Hylands Teething Tablets worked most of the time (I stalked up and will be using them with the next babe), and when she was really in pain we gave tylenol. We only had to give her that a few times.
I tried one of the teething necklaces, and it did absolutely nothing for my daughter (except look cute). I took the necklace back to the store and exchanged it for some cloth diapers, which are actually useful.
Huh, the neck rash thing. That makes sense. The soothing powers, not so much. But Hyland’s didn’t make sense to me, either. The expensive trendy teething thingy that did? Sophie the Giraffe, or as she’s known around here – Chompers. Bought it for the Big when she was working on molars, because you can work the legs all the way back into the mouth, and the Little just chews on her all the time. Motrin, Orajel, and washcloths filll in the rest.
I’m a engineer/skeptic/hippy mommy too, which is why I love reading this blog! So nice to find someone who seems sane on these issues.
I’ve always been thoroughly skeptical of amber teething necklaces (the facts just weren’t adding up) and I’ve been pretty skeptical of teething tablets as well, so I’m glad the FDA is looking into them. The basic “laws” of homeopathy don’t make any sense (look up “law of similars” and “law of infinitesimals” if you’re curious) so I’m disinclined to trust anything made using those laws. (A few homeopathic products do work, but it’s by coincidence rather than by principle.)
By the way, could you give me a couple links to start reading up on HFCS? I should probably read what’s out there, and I don’t feel like wading through the fearmonger sites.
@Cassandra–Interesting to hear about the rash! I hadn’t ever heard that particular use of amber, but I’m glad to hear that works. My son had a terrible rash on his cheeks from teething. I wonder if that would have helped, or if it would have needed to be against the actual skin affected.
@Chris–The necklaces aren’t supposed to be chewed on. They are supposed to rest against the skin, and the succinic acid is absorbed by the skin.
So we’ve never done the amber necklace thing, but both our kids have worn beaded necklaces since shortly after birth. They slept in them, wore them int eh bath, never took them off, they were not long necklaces, and we never worried or had cause to worry, but the kids slept next to us until they’re almost 3 years old. I wouldn’t leave a baby alone in a crib with a necklace on, but then again I wouldn’t do it without the necklace. I think cultural practices go together, like for example baby jewelry and co-sleeping.
Amalah, I love ya, but you sound a little hypocritical here. Didn’t you tell us all not to put anything lavender on boys skin because of phytoestrogen?And don’t you also avoid parabens and other yucky additives if possible when it comes to skin care? So you obviously believe chemicals CAN be absorbed through the skin, maybe because they are hard beads and not a oil or water base you think they probably don’t work? I have never used them, considering it for child-on-the way. The necklace thing is kinda scary, I don’t think I would leave the babe unsupervised while wearing it…
^Not exactly hippy-ish… Love my Ergo & cloth diaper when I feel like it… Prefer vitamins & herbs to big pharma, but when I’m really sick-o I head straight for the Doc…
Baltic Amber has worked for us!
I didn’t discover amber until my 3rd came along… her terrible teething started @ 4 mos. & within about 3 days of initially putting her Amber on her drooling was cut down by 90%, her mood was much more even-keeled & her sleeping was MUCh more restful.
I got pregnant with #4 when #3 was only 5 mos. old & my pubic symphysis diastasis kicked in earlier than it had with pregnancy 2 OR 3… & thinking back to the wonderful results we’d had with Amber for my #3′s teething, I bought some for myself! Within a week of initially wearing my Amber, my constant hip pain was nearly GONE! (I say nearly, because I did still suffer flare ups when I over-exerted myself…)
Purchasing high-quality, handcrafted necklaces or bracelets from a reputable dealer is your best bet. It is VITALLY important to get the PROPER size so that it won’t be a choking hazard. All 4 of my kiddos (8, 5, 17 mos. & 3 mos.) wear Amber 24/7!
I’m a pediatric registered nurse, crunchy momma of two little boys. My first boy was a pretty good teether & the occasional Tylenol/Motrin did the job. The second boy not so much & NOTHING worked!!! After weeks of night waking every 2 hours, daytime fussiness & horrible drool rash, I caved & bought an amber necklace. Best purchase ever. Pretty sure it’s not the placebo effect as all the aforementioned symptoms return if we happen to take the necklace off for an extended period of time. Please don’t form opinions if you haven’t even tried it yet. I was highly skeptical but when you run out of options (you can’t give Tylenol/Motrin every night & Orajel didn’t help), perhaps you might change your stance. It seems to me the ‘amber haters’ in this discussion have easier teethers & maybe haven’t reached the point of desperation we mammas of difficult teethers have. . .
Another fan of Amber here! Our son will ask for his necklace when his teeth are bothering. We don’t give him medication for his pain so I was glad to find something that seemed to help.
When first purchased we thought it was cute but probably wouldn’t work. However you can tell when he has it off just how much it HAS been working!
His rashes clear up, less drool, sleeps better (we also co-sleep) and longer and is in much less discomfort.
knocking a product before trying it and then knocking it publicly? Lame.
I’m tempted to try it just for the drooling help! I know I’m going to have to get over my ick of drooling and other messy things.. but I’m not there yet. Speaking of countries with baby jewelry – anyone ever use baby rings? A lot of people with French ancestry responded above. My husband’s side is French and they gave me his mothers and his grandmother’s baby rings. I don’t know when to use them and sorta afraid she’ll lose them or swallow them.
I bought a teething necklace for Snackbox when he was about 8 months old and it appeared all of his teeth were going to come in at once. I never left it on him during naps or at night, and once he discovered he could pull it out from under his shirt and chew on it (~10 months) I stopped putting it on him. I think it helped somewhat, but so did dosing him with Tylenol EVERYSINGLENIGHT.
Oh, and Orajel? That stuff is horrible – it numbs Baby’s throat so they can’t swallow very well – talk about a choking hazard.