Baltic amber teething necklaces. We’ve all seen them, many parents swear by them, but is it all just a load of rubbish?
What is Baltic amber?
It won’t come as a shock that Baltic amber is simply any amber that comes from the Baltic region (… surely that one deserves a Blue Peter badge). The region is believed to have been producing amber for over 40 million years and has the largest deposits of amber in the world. This long established region is therefore considered to produce the purest amber, with the highest concentration of succinic acid.
Okay… so what’s so good about it?
Hold tight, here’s the science bit.
Amber is actually a resin, made from fossilized trees. When this resin is warmed by the skin of the wearer, it releases a tiny, but not insignificant, amount of healing oil (succinic acid) that is said to have analgesic properties. Through contact with the skin, this is absorbed into the bloodstream, and is believed to relieve pain.
This is where the claims get a little dubious (and takes a right bashing by some) - even if we do buy into the idea that succinic acid is strong and concentrated enough in the jewelry to be absorbed through your skin and into your bloodstream, are we really saying that it will be strong enough to make it to the source of pain — better than or equal to, say, a syringeful of Calpol?
Thing is, that’s exactly what the hypothetical “they” are saying… and there is some basis in fact. The fact that it is released slowly and consistently into the bloodstream means that the pain doesn’t have a chance to build into a crescendo - usually characterised by a screaming, dribbling and inconsolable baby.
Okay it’s worth a try, so why choose NaturalAmber.co.uk?
- Well first up, it’s 100% certified natural amber that comes with a certificate. If a piece of paper isn’t proof enough for you, there are a couple of tests you can do to prove its authenticity.
- All necklaces and bracelets fasten with twist-in screw clasps which are tougher, yet will pop apart under stress.
- Each bead is individually knotted, so if your necklace should break, you won’t have loose beads that can be swallowed by baby.
In short, it’s guaranteed to be real, and is secured with all the recommended safety features for baby.
So what do we think?
Well I’ve fallen for the hype. I love it. It’s seriously cute, sits comfortably under her clothes so as not to be a distraction, yet is snug enough to deliver the analgesia, if indeed there is any.
Heidi has been wearing hers for little over a week and isn’t in the midst of a bout of teething (as far as we know). She still wakes up every night, but then this has been a Heidi-trait from birth. She’s also still dribbling & soaking the necks of her tees, and extra whingy at mealtimes - all of the usual signs - but having had a feel of her gums all seems quiet on the Western Front. Saying that, our experiences with her teething have been varied, with some coming through overnight easily, and others causing a protracted period of misery & insomnia - maybe she’s just taking this one on the chin, and maybe that’s due to her new bit of kit.
In short, there’s not enough there to say it has categorically worked. She’d have to wear the necklace for a number of months for me to give a more detailed assessment. Right now though, I’m happy she’s comfortable wearing it, unfazed by it and well, it can’t hurt.
FAQs (or more like, “Questions I had before trying one out on Heidi”)
- Can a baby choke on it? Well I’m sure there’s always a chance, but no more likely than a baby could choke on anything else. It should be fitted snugly around the neck (with say 4 adult fingers ‘give’), which means they can’t physically see it, or feel it dangling. For them to actually get it in their mouth, would be nothing short of contortion.
- What about strangulation? These things have been tested to the hilt, but to allay any concerns, the clasp is manufactured to break under stress. As mentioned above the beads are also individually tied together so don’t represent choking hazards in of themselves.
- What if they chew on it? They wouldn’t be able to if they wanted to (of course they could chew on a bracelet, but not a necklace). If I’m honest, I can’t get my head around the bracelets anyway as my understanding is that the amber should lay local to the source of pain. Nevertheless it wouldn’t hurt them if they did.
- Can they wear it in water? Having done a little background reading, the answer is no. Water can penetrate the resin and lessen the effectiveness. It will also rot away the string.
- What about sleeping? The advice is not to let baby wear it without adult supervision. I’ve heard stories of mums being a little less ‘careful’ and winding it around ankles and popping on socks but I wouldn’t want to advocate this (especially not as that will probably have zero affect in relieving pain). My advice, and that of all responsible sellers (including Natural Amber) is No.
In summary, I’m sticking with it. Not because it works, but because it might work. As parents, it’s an extra layer of defence against a sleepless night, and so far it’s come up trumps. For just £9.99 from naturalamber.co.uk it simply has to be worth a punt.
