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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Want to try Amber Necklace/anklet for teething, but...

36 replies

luna40 · 11/12/2013 08:24

I want to try Amber Necklace/anklet for teething, as my 8 month old is suffering badly, but… my DH is a sceptic, and resorts to science for all the answers, and says there is no evidence that amber can help. Apparently the "healing properties" found in Baltic amber is succinic acid, and the only way that this can actually be absorbed into the skin is if it reaches nearly a boiling point in temperature, obviously not going to happen when just wearing a necklace… blah blah blah…

But I see so many stories on here and other parenting sites, where mums swear by them. Can anyone help me find a link to show any evidence that amber can help with teething? Or is my DH right.. again…?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Shnickyshnackers · 11/12/2013 08:30

Well he doesnt have to have the last word does he?

bruffin · 11/12/2013 08:48

Put it this way, if it works then you are allowing an unknown quantity of an untested drug to be absorbed into your babies skin. If it doesnt work you are still putting a choking hazard round your babies neck. They dont even look cute, just very tacky.
Other mothers may swear they work, but they are confusing causation with correlation. My DD managed to cut 4 or 5 teeth at a time without us even noticing without the aid of an amber. Remember teething time is limited so if a baby has been crying for weeks with teething and parent put on necklace and baby stops crying, then it may just be that teething time has come to an end anyway and it just coincided with the necklace.

stargirl1701 · 11/12/2013 08:53

The choking hazard was too high for us. If it is bad, give Calpol. Have you tried teething powders? Teething gels? Cold teethers?

Original poster

luna40 · 11/12/2013 08:56

Good points, yes I'm not comfortable with the choking hazard either. Have tried calpol, gels, etc. Neurofen is actually the only thing that really works, but I don't feel comfortable giving it to him every night..

OP posts:

Featherbag · 11/12/2013 09:02

There is absolutely no way an amber necklace can make any difference to a teething child, only to a parent's perception of the child. OTOH, ibuprofen works, is clinically proven to work and even you acknowledge it works - imagine if you were in pain but were offered a pretty necklace instead of a painkiller, you wouldn't be pleased would you?! It's not like you'll be giving it for the rest of baby's life, or even giving several doses a day, but a dose at bed time could really help and is perfectly safe.

whereisthewitch · 11/12/2013 09:09

I can honestly say I hate seeing these on babies, tacky looking and in my view very dangerous especially the necklaces.

Teething powders were great, and calpol.

GinGinGin · 11/12/2013 09:17

I honestly don't get why people get so funny about giving their children tried & tested medicine and instead go with all the woo crap. If you want to wear amber and dance around the moon when you're in a shit load of pain that's up to you, but why inflict the same on a defenceless baby who cannot understand why they're in pain and just want it to go away?

lilyaldrin · 11/12/2013 09:20

There's no way that they can actually "work", other than you have faith/belief in them.

Personally I don't like jewellery on babies, and they are potentially unsafe, but if it's a look you like and you maybe put it on an ankle and take it off before you let your baby nap, it's probably safe enough.

Grumblelion · 11/12/2013 09:23

Evidence for the absorption notwithstanding (and I'm personally with your DH on this one!), for me the risk of choking/strangulation meant that I would never have used one anyway. From a pure risk/benefit POV, the potential risks far outweighed any clinically unproven benefit.

I can understand your reluctance to give neurofen/calpol every night. We just did it on an ad hoc basis - if DD was especially grumpy or irritable. Bonjela also worked quite well so we'd try that first. Also we learnt that we had to give either of them 10-15 minutes to start working after we gave them - feels like a lifetime when your LO is upset but it was always true. Have heard good things about the teething powders too but never tried them. Cold teething rings were also a godsend - though I'm guessing you've probably tried mist things

Original poster

luna40 · 11/12/2013 10:39

Thanks everyone for putting it in perspective! Will stick with the tried and tested medicine for the time being :)

OP posts:

sneezecakesmum · 11/12/2013 12:35

Teething granules worked. Amber beads I would be very sceptical about.

stargirl1701 · 11/12/2013 22:01

We also used a flannel as a teether. We soaked it in water then popped it in a Tupperware and into the freezer. It seemed to give relief.

ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts · 12/12/2013 11:25

Just to add an opposite opinion...

DS has always been a bad teether, really poorly with it, an admission to hospital with bronchiolitis, recurring infections etc.

A friend of mine recommended Amber necklace. i had the same opinion as everyone else that it could never work.

I got to the end of my rope one day when a couple of premolars had kept us awake for a week and ordered one thinking if it didn't work then it was only a tenner wasted.

i got an anklet instead of the necklace so it is out of sight under his sock. he has never fiddled with it and it is individually knotted and has never broken.

that was a year ago now and he cut the rest of his teeth without a peep and hasn't been poorly since.

Ladyhawke127 · 12/12/2013 12:22

I thought the same. Utter quackery of the highest order. Til I tried one. The change in little hawks behaviour was absolute and within about 2 days. It dies not look tacky on him, either. His is lovely on him, he is rocking the surfer dude look! Lol! The beads are on a cotton thread that will snap before any harm can come to your baby, and there is a knot between each bead,so if they do break, the beads don't scatter everywhere. He doesn't wear them to bed.

lilyaldrin · 12/12/2013 12:28

It still doesn't change the fact that they can't physically work in any way but by magic.

VenusDeWillendorf · 12/12/2013 12:34

I'm embarrassed to say I was a sceptic too in the woo of it, until I tried a bracelet worn around the ankle.

I got one for myself also..... It's great for a sore throat.....

I also used chamomile homeopathic granules remedy and that worked wonders too....

Next I'll be hit by lightning, I suppose

lljkk · 12/12/2013 12:35

If Amber is so effective then why hasn't it been tested & found effective on adults cutting wisdom teeth? Or 6yos cutting their 7yr molars, etc.

VenusDeWillendorf · 12/12/2013 12:36

Lily, I know, but apparently they heat up and release some volatile oils or something. So basically like wearing Olbas Oil as nuggets, but prettier.

MichaelFinnigan · 12/12/2013 12:39

aren't teething granuals homeopathic? woo too if so...

VenusDeWillendorf · 12/12/2013 12:42

Lljkk, I got a necklace for my dd when she was older as well, and she had no problem afterwards cutting her teeth...

I wear mine when my throat is sore also, and it seems to work!

stargirl1701 · 12/12/2013 12:57

Ladyhawke, the beads are the choking hazard. The necklace is a strangulation hazard.

Stropzilla · 12/12/2013 13:17

Interesting that the posters who say it's rubbish have never tried it, and all the ones who have say it works including an ex sceptic. Anyone tried it and not felt it worked? If EVERYONE who uses Amber says it works surely that's a bit more than coincidence?

Not tried it myself.

lilyaldrin · 12/12/2013 13:23

I'm not saying it's rubbish, the placebo effect is very strong and well documented. It just isn't working because amber has painkilling properties that leech into the skin.

lilyaldrin · 12/12/2013 13:24

Venus, I'm afraid it doesn't. Amber needs to be melted at 200c to release acid. If it actually did release untested acid into a baby's bloodstream just through touch, it would be regulated and safety tested.

lilyaldrin · 12/12/2013 13:27

Teething powders work by being sweet and crunchy - there's no active ingredient in them.

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