Buy an Amber Teething Necklace

Baltic amber is a homeopathic remedy used to relieve the pain associated with teething in babies and toddlers. Baltic amber contains high levels of succinic acid, which is thought to stimulate recovery of the neural system and reduce inflammation. There is anecdotal evidence that when amber is worn on the skin, it has an analgesic affect and can reduce the side effects of teething, such as ear aches, swollen gums, fevers, colds, diaper rashes and loss of appetite.

Steps

Choosing a Safe Necklace

1. Choose a necklace with hand tied knots in between each bead. Pediatricians warn of the risk of choking if the beads are put in the baby's mouth and inhaled, which could happen if the necklace breaks and the beads scatter.
   • As a safety precaution, there should be a hand tied knot between every bead, as well as the fastener.
   • This structure ensures that if the necklace is strongly yanked or pulled, only one bead will come loose, rather than all of the beads.
   • Supervise your child when they are wearing the necklace so that you can act quickly and ensure no beads are swallowed if the necklace does break.
2. Consider the type of fastening clasp. Teething necklaces, indeed any jewelry placed around an infant's neck, pose a significant risk of choking and strangulation. However, there are specific designs that will ensure the necklace breaks under stress if it becomes entangled, reducing this risk.
   • Look for necklaces that are secured with either a magnetic closure or a screw clasp. Both types of fastenings have pros and cons.
   • The magnetic closure is designed to break apart easily if the necklace gets caught on anything.
   • The screw clasp keeps the necklace secure around the child's neck and is difficult for a child to unhook, which keeps the child from taking the necklace off on their own. Some argue this offers greater security than a magnetic clasp.
3. Buy a teething necklace that is a safe length for a baby. It should be short enough so that the child cannot put it in their mouth and chew, but still comfortable around their neck.
   • Look for necklaces between 12 and 15 inches (30-38 cm) long. This should fit 95% of teething infants between 4 months and 3 years.
   • If the necklace is for an older child, measure the child's neck before purchasing a necklace.
4. Opt for a necklace with a multi-thread string. An amber teething necklace should be designed with double or triple-strung cotton threads for maximum strength and durability. Although strong, the string will eventually break if placed under stress, which reduces the risk of choking.

Buying a Genuine Baltic Amber Necklace

1. Look carefully at the area of origin. Unfortunately there are lots of counterfeit amber products in circulation. It is important to ensure that any necklace you purchase is genuine Baltic amber from the Baltic region and not imitation amber.
   • Authentic Baltic amber dates from 44 million years ago and has 200 times the amount of succinic acid (the therapeutic ingredient) than other types of amber.
   • Countries in the Baltic region that produce amber include Sweden, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Denmark.
2. Avoid products marketed as "copal amber." Copal is an immature resin (typically less than 250 years old) often passed off as amber. Unlike amber, copal is not a fossilized and hardened resin.
   • Do not purchase amber teething necklaces that advertise amber from Columbia, Madagascar or Kenya. These geographic areas have rich Copal mines, but do not produce true amber.
   • You can test if your product is copal or amber by rubbing with a solvent such as acetone or alcohol. Copal will soften and get sticky when the solvent is applied whereas true amber will remain hard and the solvent will simply evaporate off.
   • If you do perform this test, be sure to wash the necklace carefully with detergent and hot water before putting the necklace on your child!
3. Purchase amber teething necklaces from reliable vendors. Look for online and retail vendors who specialize in Baltic amber teething necklaces. Ask about the retailer's return policy in the event the amber teething necklace is not authentic or is not effective for your child.
4. Avoid discounted amber merchandise. The price of genuine Baltic amber products begin around $15 and can be as much as $50 for one teething necklace. If a necklace is for sale at a discount, question the vendor about its authenticity.
5. Pay attention to the color. Natural Baltic amber comes in a variety of colors and tones. Because amber is a natural material, expect some color inconsistency between beads. Common Baltic amber colors are honey, butterscotch, cognac, dark cherry and olive.

Using an Amber Teething Necklace Correctly

1. Place around your child's neck for best results. A teething necklace is not designed for babies to chew on, but to be worn against the skin.
   • The idea is that heat from the child's body warms the amber causing it to release an oil containing succinic acid.
   • Succinic acid is the therapeutic ingredient that soothes the teething infant.
   • For best results, fasten the necklace around your child's neck and tuck it inside her shirt. Tucking the necklace into clothing also keeps your child from pulling on it.
2. Remove when your child is sleeping or unsupervised for a long period of time. The longer the amber necklace is worn the greater the effect, however, because of the risk of strangulation, you should remove the necklace when you are not around to supervise your child or if the child is sleeping.
   • You can also wrap the necklace around your child's ankle and cover with a sock while they sleep at night to maintain the effect.
   • If you are worried about putting a necklace around your child's neck, amber teething bracelets and anklets are also available. However, because the extremities give off less heat and the surface area of the amber is less, the effect may be slightly reduced.
3. Inspect the necklace frequently to ensure that it is in good condition. Look for any missing beads or broken stones.
   • Amber is an incredibly hard resin, so damage shouldn't happen often with a high quality product.
   • As a safety precaution, do not put a damaged necklace on your child.
4. Clean the necklace with mild soap, warm water and an old toothbrush. After several weeks or months of use, the necklace may become grimy and require cleaning.
   • Fill a bowl with warm water and add a small amount of soap.
   • Dip your necklace in the bowl and gently, using a downward and back and forth motion, start brushing your necklace.
   • Don't scrub too hard to avoid damaging the string.
   • Allow to air dry or dry off with towel.
   • If the stones look dull after this process, rub a small amount of olive oil on the stones to recover the sheen.

Video

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Tips

• Amber teething necklaces can be worn on children as young as 3 or 4 months old.
• Because teething can continue until children are 2 or 3 years old, the necklaces can be worn by toddlers as well.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Lift and Carry a Baby
• Determine if Your Infant Has an Ear Infection
• Heal a Cut in Your Mouth
• Heal Mouth Burns
• Get Rid of Numbness in Your Lip
• Heal a Cut on Your Tongue
• Give an Infant Medicine
• Treat Allergic Colitis in Babies
• Diagnose Allergic Colitis in Babies
• Stop Belching

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