amber necklaces for teethng

[lucyA1308]

I know many parents say how fantastic the amber necklaces are.

I'm thinking of getting one, but just a few questions:

I wouldn't want my baby to ear it at night, does this defeat the purpose? Would just wearing it during the day be enough to carry through the night times?

Have people tried the ankle / bracelet ones? Do these work just as effectively, or does it have to be a necklace?

Thanks,

Lucy

[lenster]

I have the necklace and anklet and use the anklet at night. Hard to say whether it has been effective as my little one (10 months) has yet to have a tooth appear...maybe it is magically keeping them away altogether!?!

Not sure how many places are still selling them though as I recently received an email from the company I bought from, Amber Pumpkin, saying Trading Standards has requested removal of stock by all sellers due to potential safety issues for children under 3.

[minder]

There was a report in the papers last week about how amber necklaces have now been considered dangerous to children under 3 and that they have no benefit at all.

[Saffron]

Why were they considered dangerous? Was it due to small parts/choking hazzard?

We looked into getting an amber necklace for Little Saff, but then I never got around to it. I read babies/children should only wear them on wrist/ankle, and that each bead must be idividually knotted to asure that if the strand breaks the beads will be contained.

I couldn't find a great deal of actual research on the benefits (or lack thereof) from amber. I've recently been thinking about getting an amber bracelet for myself due to chronic inflammation in my wrist.

Would love to know more about why they might be dangerous/ineffective.

[minder]

I will try to dig the paper out of my recycling box tomorrow if I can find the article!

I think it was due to the safety issue, and personally I would never have let my child wear one. Choking and strangulation is the first thing that comes to my mind.

Have you tried taking evening primrose oil or cod liver oil capsules for your inflammation?

[GentleStrength]

My little one wears one. It really helps take the edge off of unpleasant teething symptoms. He only wears it around his neck when he's awake. When he's sleeping, I wrap it around his ankle, under his onesie so he can't reach it.

[Saffron]

Well, I found this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138280/Teething-necklaces-amber-choke-babies-break-parents-warned.html?ito=feeds-newsxml which suggests that [badly made] amber necklaces may be dangerous. It doesn't give any evidence one way or another as to whether they are/aren't effective as anti-inflammatories.

If there is an effect of amber on inflammation, is it thought to be through succinic acid in the amber passing into the blood circulation through the skin? Therefore if this effect is real, then the amber could in theory be worn anywhere on the body, and the putative active component(s) would pass into general circulation thus reaching all sites of inflammation, even those distant to the point of contact.

Amber does definitely contain succinic acid; however, whether or not enough is liberated through topical contact with the skin appears to be unknown. I did find an article saying that pale shades of amber have less succinic acid. So I guess the darker shades would be more effective -- if the effect is indeed real. Jury still out, as far as I could find.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Interesting article on the (lack of) evidence re. amber necklaces form teething.

[Saffron]

Yes, it is an interesting read, although the author doesn't actually present any evidence.

Indeed the author concedes that s/he could not find any articles in a PubMed search. S/he raises some other salient points but his/her scientific reasoning is badly incorrect in at least one place, ie Mohs scale (a measure of hardness) is not a stand-in measure for biological reactivity. Copper scores around 3.3, similar to some types of amber, yet copper is highly reactive biologically. So as far as I can tell, jury is still out.

Points on safety, efficacy, and plausibility are nevertheless important, but to my mind, conclusions on putative mechanism(s) of action simply cannot be drawn without actual data.

[taper]

The fact there is no evidence in favour should ring alarm bells. It would be in a lot of people's interest to show there is a positive impact. Also there's no plausible mechanism. So given the dangers, probably worth avoiding. They look purdy though.

[pincushionqueen]

My daughter received one as a gift, I am quite skeptical but felt obliged to try it. She hasn't really suffered too badly with teething (she is 10 months and now has 8 teeth) although I seriously doubt the Amber necklace did anything-except look pretty. She won't be wearing it anymore that's for sure!

[Kes]

Surely total lack of evidence that they work + slight risk they may be dangerous = save your money and just give the kid calpol?

Perhaps I'm over anxious, but I wouldn't feel happy letting a baby out of my sight for a minute with a bead necklace around it's neck.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Maybe my two year old read this thread, but last night he asked for us to take his amber necklace off, after wearing it 24/7 for the past 9months. Hmm... the forum strikes again!

[Saffron]

Kes Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Surely total lack of evidence that they work +

> slight risk they may be dangerous = save your

> money and just give the kid calpol?

>

Welllll, paracetamol is now correlated to development of asthma (although bear in mind that correlation does not of course equal causation).

[Saffron]

So just give them a cold carrot to chew... No, wait, they could bite off a small piece and choke to death!

Hmm, how about a teething ring? But they could injest bits of plastic, and it could affect their digestion!!

So, give 'em some tele as distration? Oh no, tele linked to ADD/ADHD!!!

Bonjela is out b/c it has aspirin.

Bonjela for kids is aspirin-free, but it has alcohol (have you ever tried putting alcohol on your own broken gums? -ouch!-).

Anbesol doesn't have alcohol, but the pharmacy never stocks it. When they do finally get it in stock, you then actually have to get your child's mouth open to apply it. Hmm, easier said than done.

Is no one suggesting copper for teething? Copper is known to be an anti-inflammtory. Tape a tupence to their little bums. They'll never reach it there.

(I'm being facetious, about the tape of course. Copper really is an anti-inflammatory http://www.springerlink.com/content/r813504214797553/ .)

[Saffron]

Ruth_Baldock Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Maybe my two year old read this thread, but last

> night he asked for us to take his amber necklace

> off, after wearing it 24/7 for the past 9months.

> Hmm... the forum strikes again!

Ultimately I think this was the reason we didn't buy an amber teething necklace/bracelet/anklet for Little Saff. I wasn't convinced that I could actually make her wear it.