Amber teething necklaces

[lenise]

DS has started teething at 3 months old and I've been frantically looking into different remedies as I want to avoid calpol with all the dreaded E numbers.

Has anyone tried amber teething necklaces? Can anyone recommend a reputable place online to buy one? Thanks!

There's no good reason to believe that amber teething necklaces work - this is a fairly good summary of the evidence.

They look kind of pretty, and I know that some parents do feel they are useful, but in my experience these are the same people who swear by homeopathic cough remedies. It always makes me nervous seeing little babies wearing amber necklaces, but perhaps that's because I know of a child who died from strangulation, and because I am worried about choking on beads.

I am a bad mummy who gave calpol when absolutely necessary. Other mums have told me about freezing wet flannels for babies to chew on - not sure this would work at 3 months though, because your baby is perhaps too young to hold a teething toy properly?

Calpol is not that bad in the scheme of things. It really does work.

I have a child with severe multiple food allergies, and to be honest, the e numbers in calpol are the least of my worries!

Used teething necklaces on all 3 DCs. First I knew of teeth coming through for DCs 1&2 was when I physically saw them. Was never woken by them and thought the necklaces were a Godsend. Then DC3 came along and he wakes me up constantly (not sure what for - could be teeth...). So jury's out for me now. They're def worth a try IMO.

My friend swears by putting teething rattles and toys in the freezer

I have never been into alternative remedies but decided to try an amber necklace for my ds after a friend recommended them. It may have been coincidental but he definitely seemed more chilled when wearing it. I bought mine from a shop on ebay called new aged living. If it doesn't work, you've lost about 7 quid so I'd say it's worth a try. Good luck!

Also, I did research before hand as I was worried about their safety and there are no reported cases of babies choking or being strangled by them. They open very easily if they were to catch on something, and are knotted between each bead so if it was to snap only 1 bead would come off.

"DS has started teething at 3 months old and I've been frantically looking into different remedies as I want to avoid calpol with all the dreaded E numbers."

So how come you are looking at something that its proponents claim releases unknown quantities of an untested chemical for your 3 month old baby to absorb at an unknown rate through his skin?

Amber does release a chemical associated with pain relief, if you heat it to something like 300degs.

Save your money OP. They may have a placebo effect, but beyond that it is total woo

Load of old tosh imo I used an amber bracelet on my dd when she started to teethe, a friend suggested them to me and I'm fairly open minded so decided to give it a go.....nothing changed other then the fact she would try and knaw on it! I gave her calpol when needed or Ashton and parsons tooth powder (AMAZING! hard to find now though), bonjela and had two sets of nuby teething keys one for the fridge while the other one was doing its job and got through ok.

It works in the same way that homeopathy works.. placebo effect (on parents!)
It is chemically impossible for the amber to be absorbed due to it needing to be heated to an extremely high temperature, not to mention that fact that if it had ANY effect whatsoever it would have to be regulated as a medicine.

They look cute and are definitely fashionable (but a choking hazzard) but are a waste of money.

Cold teethers in the freezer are soothing though:)