Amber or Wood?

Babe has started teething. Don't get too excited. There aren't any little white buds bursting through. Teething can be a long process. She drools everywhere and is chewing so hard on her hand that I'm afraid she may gnaw it off altogether! She is also so uncomfortable that she is waking up every hour or so throughout the night, which I'm not enjoying.

So I went out in search of an amber teething necklace. Now, I am very skeptical about the effectiveness of this little accessory. But what the hell? I'll give it a go. I am however mildly concerned about the safety of these necklaces.

The necklaces are supposed to work by releasing Succinic Acid from the amber into the skin. Succinic Acid is used in various medications such as sedatives and antiplegms. There is a lot of doubt that this seepage is even possible (here's a great blog post about this) never mind at all beneficial but parents all over the world swear by it and amber has been used medicinally for hundreds of years.

I was mostly concerned about the safety of having a necklace on my baby. It seems a little foolhardy to put any jewelry on a baby, especially a necklace, which could pose a choking or strangulation hazard. The amber necklaces usually have a knot between each bead to prevent it from exploding beads all over the place. And the clasp is designed to break before it chokes. Still I wouldn't leave it on an unattended baby and I also wouldn't leave it on all night.

When I went to buy one today two things happened: First, I found an amber anklet for Babe. This immediately relieved my fears of strangulation. Yay! And if it does break while I'm not looking, an anklet is further away from her mouth than a necklace is. This extra distance might buy me a few more seconds to notice the disaster before Babe gets the beads into her mouth. The second thing was that the store I bought it from was also selling Hazelwood teething necklaces, which I've never heard of.

Amber Glow Teething Anklet

Apparently Hazelwood absorbs excess acid through the skin. People use these necklaces for ailments such as eczema, heartburn and migraines, and baby ailments such as diaper rash and teething.

I couldn't decide between the two so I bought both to try. Here is the website for the brand of Hazelwood necklace that I purchased.

Both types of necklaces are designed to be used 24 hours a day and according to the seller's websites the more of it that is in contact with the skin the more beneficial.

Pur Noisetier Hazelwood Necklace

I however will not be leaving either one on Babe for 24 hours. Partly because I don't think it's safe for her to wear them while we're sleeping and partly because if they do in fact work I'm uncomfortable with them emitting anything into her skin in large amounts or over long periods of time. Just because it's natural does not mean it is safe!

Breaking the 24 hour rule may mean that I won't see the benefits that other parents have seen, but I'll let you know how the trials went and which I prefer.

If you've tried either and found success or failure post a comment below.