What’s all the hype about placing an amber necklace on your baby to help with teething and drooling? Well, now that my son’s teething, I scoured all I could about the stones because if it helps, why not try it?
On my search for the where, the why and the how, I read all I could about these necklaces, and some bracelets, with the hopes of understanding and helping to inform my fellow Mama’s.
What I found was amber stones have a natural occurring property called succunic acid which, when the stones are heated, is released and absorbed through the baby’s skin. Succinic acid relieves swelling through its natural anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties which helps with the breaking through of teeth through delicate gums.
Now, many call the necklaces placebos as its been noted that the amber stones must reach a level of heat not achieved by the human body to release succinic acid from the amber. While those are scientific facts, I cannot argue the fact that I believe they work.
Just recently I had the opportunity to test the placebo affect on my son as we had inadvertently misplaced his necklace one evening. It was lost for approximately 3 days during which he drooled and was in discomfort throughout. But, once found, within about a half hour of wearing the necklace the drool and discomfort dissipated and once again I had before me my wonderful, active, happy little boy.
A few key factors when considering a necklace or bracelet:
- Amber colour varies and shows no difference in the amount of succinic acid released.
- Clasps vary from standard to screw in. I recommend the latter as it guards the baby from scratching.
- Length of necklace should remain short so as to prevent the baby from biting on the necklace.
So my verdict is this: placebo or not, it’s worth the $20 to try out a cute necklace which may bring relief to your baby while teething.
Good luck in your journey.
If you’re looking for local retailers carrying the amber necklaces, I have spotted them at Mom’s to be and More, Spoiled Baby, Li’l Niblets and Dear Born Baby.