To wonder why perfectly intelligent people keep suggesting amber teething aids to me, am I missing something?

[TinySleepThief]

I have a teething 4 month old. It's crap but there isn't much I can do about it other than dose him up with Calpol, use teething powder/gel and continue in my attempts to get him to use any form of teether.

However in general conversations 3 separate people so far this week have suggested buying a teething necklace, bracelet or anklet all of whom I thought to be quite intelligent. 2 of whom also don't have children but have heard from a friend of a friend that they work miracles.

I just don't understand why they think it would help, there's no science behind it at all and honestly they just look dangerous.

So now I'm genuinely wondering am I missing some new research which isn't just anecdotal? Or am I right to wonder why is it that rationale intelligent people seem to think that bloody amber will help when everything else I've tried so far has failed?

Ok I'll accept that I had no idea the powder was also woo crap it was prescribed by a pharmacist so probably naively assumed it was actually medicinal. I can't imagine them prescribing amber teething aids.

I've tried anbesol but it doesnt seem to offer him much relief but I'll continue as it does seem to be the best option and hopefully it starts to help ease his discomfort.

To those on this thread who claim they work surely you have to realise it's just a fluke? Otherwise like a previous poster said if they helped with toothache then adults would use them?

Baby suffering with teeth. Parents feel helpless and want to try to DO SOMETHING for inexplicable screaming baby. Parents buy amber necklace. Baby cuts teeth and stops suffering. Parents go - it must have worked!! Then suggest to everyone else that it's worth a try, it helped for them (or their friend, or their cousin's friend. etc etc)

My DH told me that he was absolutely convinced as a child that he could make the lift come faster with the power of his mind. Apparently once he pressed the button he would squeeze his eyes shut, cross all his fingers and stand on one leg and it had a 100% success rate of making the lift doors open!

Teething is blamed for almost everything in the first year or so or a baby's life. I have my doubts as to whether babies are really distressed from teething for weeks on end. My own DD is sometimes a bit grizzly the day a new tooth or two have broken through but other than that, not. But some people I know have had babies who have been 'teething' constantly since three months old (and those babies didn't get teeth until they were at least six months!).

Also the excess saliva, chewing on stuff, etc. is all normal baby developmental stuff and not necessarily relayed to a tooth coming through.

My baby is 15 weeks old tomorrow and she cut her first tooth last weekend (all 4 of my children got their teeth early). Anyhow, was given an amber anklet as a gift when she was born - I feel like every baby in Australia has amber somewhere on their body. Could be a fluke or could be voodoo magic or could be the magical powers of amber, but I didn't even know the poor girl was even teething. My older, non amber decorated children were nightmares while teething. So who knows.

And yes, the beads are nonsense woo and confirmation bias. I also wouldn't ever have a string of tiny beads on a baby or toddler, whether you think they're never unsupervised or not. It's a choking risk for absolutely no benefit.

Could be a fluke or could be voodoo magic or could be the magical powers of amber

Of course it's a fluke there is no magical power of amber.

And my DD has never had a teething temp, has never had to have Calpol for teething and does not and has not ever worn an amber anklet, necklace, bracelet. She has 13 teeth now and hasn't really been bothered by any. It's nothing to do with amber - some children just aren't particularly affected by it.

I had no idea the powder was also woo crap it was prescribed by a pharmacist so probably naively assumed it was actually medicinal.

It's labelled as homeopathic because there is no evidence it works and I think they put stuff like chamomile in to give it 'medicinal' properties. It's usually not proper homeopathy in the sense of the magic water.

The theory behind sugar crystals (which is all they are) is that the nice taste and interesting texture distracts the kid. They didn't work for ours but it does no harm to try.

That said there have been cases in America of teething crystals sold with all sorts of nasty toxic stuff in by proper homeopaths.

They are nonsense - and potentially dangerous nonsense. I’d just ignore. Also agree that ‘teething’ is blamed on everything for about the first two years.

The woo powders must be sweet as my babies loved them. I think I realised they were woo but I felt I had to do something. It’s quite disturbing when your 4 month old looks like they’ve been on the gak though.

In all the baby groups I've attended the sight of amber jewellery has been a useful shibboleth that the parent may hold some other 'alternative' views which are unlikely to align with my own.

This is the claim - What are amber teething necklaces? They are teething necklaces made of Baltic amber, or fossilized tree resin. In theory when baby wears one, his body heat triggers the release of a minute amount of oil that contains succinic acid, which is absorbed into the bloodstream.

I guess if people believe the powders work then the ‘minute’ amount of succinct acid in these might work too.
But it’s not proven in the same way homeopathy isn’t proven.

Doesn’t stop people trying and swearing by it

It seems to me there's two reasons not to use them -

either they don't work

OR

Or they work, and you're apparently giving your child an unknown dose of an unknown, untested substance which is strong enough to dull teething pain apparently more than paracetamol.

Frankly, the second option is surely more worrying than the first!

Teething is blamed for almost everything in the first year or so or a baby's life. I have my doubts as to whether babies are really distressed from teething for weeks on end.

My 6 year old is still teething. At least I hope that's the reasons she's so stroppy.

However in general conversations 3 separate people so far this week have suggested buying a teething necklace, bracelet or anklet all of whom I thought to be quite intelligent. 2 of whom also don't have children but have heard from a friend of a friend that they work miracles

It's because they as thick as pig shit, OP Revise your "quite intelligent" down a few notches.

I thought my child had teething pain once. It turned out to be an ear infection. I felt so incredibly guilty.

I did not use amber tetthing braclets or necklaces as looked like a load of horse shit.

I realise this is awful but I have seen babies wearing them at baby groups and usually think I probably wouldn’t get on with their parent I’ve been wrong on occasion but most the time first impressions have been correct.

Maybe it's because those people aren't perfectly intelligent at all 🤷‍♂️

Apparently intelligent and well educated people are into homeopathy and will argue strenuously that it really, really works no matter what the science shows. I often think people so much want there to be magical solutions to problems that they just convince themselves there are.

Of course it's a fluke there is no magical power of amber. hmm

Like I said, who knows. At the end of the day, my baby got her tooth without me even noticing she was teething. The older children were feral screamers for days on end.
Literally every baby in Australia wears amber somewhere and I've never had any fellow parents mention teething issues here. When I lived in England, all the mums in was friends with, myself included, constantly discussed teething. Weird it's such a non issue over here.

Like you say though, must be a fluke ;)

I have not read the full thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned.
I gave my DD frozen carrot sticks...……...she still loves a raw carrot

Of course it's a fluke there is no magical power of amber. hmm

OP, you're being quite eye rolly to people that are just telling you their experiences. Teething granules are a load of nonsense but you're using them. We're all learning, it's not a competition.

intelligence and critical thinking are not synonymous. That's how Gwyneth Paltrow makes her money, as do many other peddlers of nonsense.

amber beads round a baby's ankle will do nothing but annoy it and possibly choke it if they break.

tell your mates not to be so credulous.

I find them to be a handy visual marker of a certain kind of parent whose views on lots of things I’m probably not going to agree with
Absolutely!

When I lived in England, all the mums in was friends with, myself included, constantly discussed teething.

Sounds like winding each other up with it - neither of my kids had any issues (well, DS1 was pretty dribbly with the first one, but didn't notice the others) - none of them wore amber.

Aren't you concerned what you're dosing your kids with if this works? If it's a hot day, and it's apparently the warmth of skin that produces this pain relieving substance, how do you know they're not overdosing?

Does it not work as well in winter?