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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think amber necklaces are a load of bollocks?

206 replies

PancakeBum · 05/04/2018 15:00

And that if I had severe toothache I'd rather take a fucking painkiller?

Surely even if they ARE releasing these "oils" or whatever they're meant to do to help with teething then you are using an untested substance on your baby? And are they not a choking hazard?!

Or am I just being grumpy because I come from a family of homeopaths who all irritate the life out of me?

OP posts:
YourWanMajella · 05/04/2018 18:30

I'm not "claiming " anything

Clearly that one wasn't aimed at you, do try to keep up.

There is no vitriol here. Just point out the absurdity of these daft necklaces and how illogical you are to imagine that they did anything.
You jumped the shark with the scientist claim though, that was too far.

donquixotedelamancha · 05/04/2018 18:30

I don't get the vitriol. I missed that, has someone been rude?

In fairness there has been some robust skepticism about your claims. This kind of discussion is pretty common amongst my colleagues and is not personal. I suppose the way Scientists challenge ideas to test their validity can seem harsh to non-scientists.

londonrach · 05/04/2018 18:31

Of course they are.

KalaLaka · 05/04/2018 18:32

I have used amber beads on my babies on the suggestion of a friend who is a GP and an experienced mother.

Unbelievable that a doctor would recommend something with no scientific basis or evidence to suggest it does anything to help teething pain. I know a Gp who uses homeopathic remedies: equally baffling.

donquixotedelamancha · 05/04/2018 18:32

I'm not "claiming " anything Clearly that one wasn't aimed at you

It was, that was me- asking what type of Scientist she is. Not even close to vitriol though.

LaurieMarlow · 05/04/2018 18:33

somethings can't and don't work in the way people claim.

Which doesn't mean they can't work in other ways

so any old bollocks we claim is just as valid

I'm not saying it's valid. I'm saying I'm open to it being valid as we may not know enough currently to judge.

There's so much we don't fully understand. I find it interesting that the people on this board that most confidently espouse 'science' (throwing the word around in that entirely unreconstructed and ill defined way) are the most closed minded outside of an immediate sphere of what is known and proved. More profoundly knowledgeable people of my acquaintance are very open to the idea that our understanding of the universe is pretty limited.

BuntyII · 05/04/2018 18:33

Oh and I agree with PP if your child is in pain give them painkillers. It's cruel not to.

YourWanMajella · 05/04/2018 18:34

I'm saying I'm open to it being valid as we may not know enough currently to judge

But we do know enough to judge, thats the point.

londonrach · 05/04/2018 18:36

Buntry..in my group the ff babies are the healthy ones whilst the bf have been in and out of hospital. Only out of 50 mums and babies so not a population thing and im sure it even out with more mums and babies. Just had a mum friend today point this out to me. One bf baby aged 20 months is vvvv ill at the moment and been keeping my fingers crossed for him all day. How on earth you get a baby to use an inhaler i dont know.

I know its a very anti mn thing to say and everyone ask my agenda like been asked before. No agenda just want ive witnessed in 50 mums in my area.

Amber necklase not worth money you paid for it

Lweji · 05/04/2018 18:37

YANBU

And
I come from a family of homeopaths who all irritate the life out of me

You have my utmost sympathy. Flowers

AssassinatedBeauty · 05/04/2018 18:37

There is a lot we don't understand. That doesn't imply that amber must have properties that we just can't observe yet.

If amber had some unknown ability to reduce pain, surely it would be popular amongst adults in pain? Or those who wore amber jewellery regularly would notice an analgesic effect. And then, even though we didn't understand how it works, we could conduct studies to show if amber does actually reduce pain. If it was shown to reduce pain, then it could be licensed as a therapeutic treatment and made available on the NHS. That would be very straightforward to do, I'd have thought. It's a little strange that no one has done this yet, given how well they seem to work for so many parents.

BertrandRussell · 05/04/2018 18:38

There is indeed a lot we don't know. But there is also a lot that we do.

speakout · 05/04/2018 18:38

One of the GPs at my NHS practice is also a homeopath.

Be baffled.

Lweji · 05/04/2018 18:39

How on earth you get a baby to use an inhaler i dont know.

You use a spacer.

YourWanMajella · 05/04/2018 18:39

I know its a very anti mn thing to say and everyone ask my agenda like been asked before. No agenda just want ive witnessed in 50 mums in my area

50? You have kept track of FIFTY mothers and babies and know exactly the illnesses and feeding types of ALL of them?
What is this thread, fantasy pretend scientist league or what? At least try and be believable folks, this is a joke!

YourWanMajella · 05/04/2018 18:39

One of the GPs at my NHS practice is also a homeopath

There are complete twats in every profession, its not baffling

Lweji · 05/04/2018 18:40

There is indeed a lot we don't know. But there is also a lot that we do.

Yes. Homeopathy has been tested many times and shown to be bollocks.

BertrandRussell · 05/04/2018 18:41

"One of the GPs at my NHS practice is also a homeopath.

Be baffled."
Not baffled at all. She may well be an excellent GP. That does not give any credibility to the completely discredited practice of homeopathy. The Argument From Authority fallacy

YourWanMajella · 05/04/2018 18:41

Yes. Homeopathy has been tested many times and shown to be bollocks

Also against all known laws of physics, so the testing wasn't even needed to know it was bollocks.

AssassinatedBeauty · 05/04/2018 18:42

Being skeptical about the unscientific and unvalidated claims made about amber doesn't mean that you aren't "open to the idea that our understanding of the universe is pretty limited." To suggest that being reasonably skeptical is being close-minded is daft.

Chocwocdoodah · 05/04/2018 18:46

Yep, bollocks. I think the problem is that when they’re very young, you can’t always tell if they’re actually teething - because some kids’ teeth take ages to break through, others not so much - or just having an arsey day. So they could just happen to snap out of a grump after a few hours of wearing some amber and it’s all “oooh, they’re magical crystals”. IYSWIM. Same with the teething powders.

TabbyMack · 05/04/2018 18:47

Speakout Most scientists of my acquaintance understand that being “open minded” does not mean giving credence to any old crap because they like the sound of it. It means being open to the evidence.

Since there’s literally no evidence of any kind in support of amber beads having woo woo properties, how are you demonstrating that you are “open to evidence”? You’re actually demonstrating the exact opposite - as is everyone who trots out their own “open mindedness” when talking bullshit.

When someone supports their POV by raising their “scientific credentials” then they have to be willing to be deal with the raised eyebrows of better informed posters.

LaurieMarlow · 05/04/2018 18:48

Being skeptical about the unscientific and unvalidated claims made about amber doesn't mean that you aren't "open to the idea that our understanding of the universe is pretty limited." To suggest that being reasonably skeptical is being close-minded is daft.

That particular comment was part of a more general point, not specific to amber. However, I can't see how we can say we currently know everything there is to know about the properties of amber.

That would be very straightforward to do, I'd have thought. It's a little strange that no one has done this yet, given how well they seem to work for so many parents.

I can see why teething pain doesn't attract much research funding.

However, as a starting point, I'd be interested to know more about the history of the practice and what it's origins are. It's not a topic I know much about.

Lweji · 05/04/2018 18:48

Also this:

Placebo effect occurs with babies and even animals. It is normally associated with the beliefs and mood of the adult carer - adu believes the child is improving.

speakout · 05/04/2018 18:49

I simply raised the point of my credentials to highlight the fact that amber necklaces have no scientific rationale.

But some people use them. Including me.