What are the beaded necklaces babies wear

Teething Necklaces and Beads: A Caution for Parents

Log in | Register

Ages & Stages

Ages & Stages

Listen

Español

Text Size

​​​​​When parents see their baby suffering, they just want a solution. Teething necklaces and beads have become an increasing popular alternative treatment to ease teething pain. But, are they effective and safe? The answer is no.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an official warning in December 2018 after recieving reports of children choking on beads that break off and an 18-month-old being strangled to death by an amber necklace during a nap.

Why These Teething Necklaces and Beads are Choking and Strangulation Hazards:

"The risk is two-fold — strangulation and choking," said pediatrician Natasha Burgert, MD, FAAP. It occurs when the necklaces are worn around a child's neck, especially when unsupervised (such as while sleeping) or if the child were to break the necklace and swallow the beads. However, those risks are not only for these teething necklaces.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend that infants wear any jewelry. Suffocation is the leading cause of death for children under a year old and among the top five causes of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

Parents who choose to use these necklaces are advised to:

• Always supervise your child when he or she is wearing the necklace or bracelet.

• Have your child wear the necklace on a wrist or ankle and not around his or her neck.

• Remember to remove the necklace or bracelet when your child is unattended, even if it is only for a short period of time!

• Remove the necklace or bracelet while your child is sleeping (day or night).

• Consider using alternate forms of teething pain relief (see suggestions below).

• Talk to your child's pediatrician if you have concerns or questions about your child's health.
  

Safer Ways to Soothe a Teething Baby:

There are many teething-pain relievers that can soothe your baby's sore gums safely. Here are a few worth trying:

• Chew toys. Plastic and rubber toys are great for soothing aching gums.

• Cold things. For help numbing and easing the ache and inflammation, try using damp washcloths that have been twisted and frozen (tie one end in a knot for better gnawing). Avoid teething rings that are frozen solid; they are too hard for children's mouths.

• Massage.  A light, gentle rub or massage might give your little one a lot of relief. Remember to wash your hands, then massage the sore areas in your baby's mouth with your finger or knuckle.

• Medicine. When your baby is having a really tough time, ask your pediatrician about giving a dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol). Note: Numbing gels or creams that contain benzocaine are not recommended for infants.

Additional Information:

• Baby Teething Pain

• Baby's First Tooth: 7 Facts Parents Should Know

• Teething: 4 to 7 Months

• How to Help Teething Symptoms without Medications

• Prevention of Choking Among Children (AAP Policy Statement)
  

• To review recalls and safety information, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) website.  ​
  

​​

​​​

Last Updated

12/20/2018

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2018)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Are they safe for your baby?

Many experts point out significant concerns about amber teething necklaces and bracelets. Here’s what you need to know.

When your baby or toddler is teething, sometimes those wee teeth poke through without a lot of drama, but other times you’re in for night-time wake-ups, all-day fussing and one cranky kiddo. No wonder you start looking for ways to help them feel better. Amber teething necklaces promise a natural, drug-free way to help with your little one’s teething pain, but many experts point out significant concerns. Here’s what you need to know. 

These are necklaces strung with amber beads, sometimes with a magnetic fastener or another kind of clasp, and designed to help with teething pain. (There are also amber teething bracelets.) Amber is a natural substance created when tree resin becomes fossilized. There are several kinds of amber, named for the regions in which they’re found, and one of the most common is Baltic amber. 

You may have noticed other babies wearing them at your playgroup—they’re popular and widely available, and many parents swear by them. Amber contains succinic acid, which is thought to have anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties. It is believed that when the beads are worn next to the skin, succinic acid is released into the body, providing relief from the pain and tenderness of teething. In theory, this is a great idea, especially since baby teething gels intended to soothe sore gums have been removed from Canadian stores recently and banned in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

It doesn’t look like it. A 2019 study by Canadian and Australian researchers, published in the medical journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, reported that the succinic acid found in Baltic amber is not released when worn next to the skin and that succinic acid is not an anti-inflammatory. “There’s not enough evidence that these necklaces work, but there’s a lot of evidence that they are dangerous,” says Farah Abdulsatar, a paediatrician in London, Ontario. 

There is mounting research that amber teething jewellery, including necklaces, is not safe. The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), American Academy of Pediatrics and FDA warn parents and caregivers not to use amber teething necklaces on babies and toddlers. 

Possible strangulation and choking are the main risks. “You basically have a cord wrapped around an infant’s neck,” says Abdulsatar, who co-authored a report for the CPS in 2018 that outlined the risks. She points to a case report in Nova Scotia where parents brought a four-month-old to the hospital who showed signs of strangulation in the face and neck and, after bloodwork and investigation, the only explanation was that it was the baby’s first night going to bed with a teething necklace. “The necklace got twisted for part of the night, preventing air and blood from going to his head,” she says. 

Her study also included survey results from Canadian doctors, who reported cases of children swallowing the magnet clasp, non-fatal strangulation by the necklace, choking on the beads and contact dermatitis. Fortunately, no deaths or serious injuries have been reported in Canada, but there has been at least one death in California and a near-strangulation in Australia. 

Some amber teething necklaces are marketed with “breakaway” clasps that will give way with a small amount of force, freeing the child if it catches on something. However, a 2018 study, conducted in Nova Scotia and published in Paediatrics & Child Health, checked 15 different teething necklaces purchased from retailers in Atlantic Canada. The necklaces were tested with a 15-pound weight (the industry standard used to test children’s jewellery) and a 1.6-pound weight (the amount of force required to occlude or block a child’s airway). The study found that seven of the 15 necklaces did not open with 15 pounds of force, and eight did not open with 1.6 pounds of force. The authors concluded that “these necklaces pose a strangulation risk to young children if they become caught.” 

Finally, teething necklaces can be a source of harmful bacteria picked up from the baby’s environment. Researchers at a French hospital tested the amber necklaces of 27 kids brought into the dermatology clinic or emergency room and found that all of the necklaces had various types of bacteria on them (bacteria naturally live on the skin) and three had methicillin-susceptive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteria, which can cause skin infections. 

“It’s difficult to keep your eyes on an infant or toddler 100 percent of the time, and it goes back to the risks and benefits,” says Abdulsatar. “There are other safer things we can do. Choking or strangulation takes only a few seconds.”

Abdulsatar suggests solid chewing toys made of silicone that you can put in the fridge or freezer to soothe sore gums. “We usually caution people about the liquid-filled ones because new teeth can puncture them and cause the liquid to leak,” she says. Frozen fruit or veggies inside a baby feeding tool (a fine mesh bag with a handle) is also a good thing to try. Your baby may also like to gum on a clean, frozen washcloth. And she says it’s OK to use over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, for kids who are teething (as long as you follow the directions about timing, body weight and dose).

Watch Baby Grow!

• Email*
• Baby's due/birth date*

  Month223456789101112

  Day12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

  Year2024202320222021

• CAPTCHA
• Consent*

  Yes, I would like to receive Today's Parent's Baby newsletter. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.**

FILED UNDER: baby health Baby safety Baby teeth health service seo Teething Toddler teething

7 ideas on how to wear beaded jewelry

Fashion has always been sensitive to changes in socio-political life, and global crises often become only a stimulus for the development of the industry. Of course, such processes are most clearly visible over the years, but today we can see the emergence of trends caused by the pandemic in real time.

And it's not just about masks, which have become a real fashion accessory, but also about the surge of interest in beaded jewelry and bright beads. Why exactly they became a hit during the period of self-isolation and how you can have time to join the trend, we tell in our material.

Lyst named beads, pearls and chains as the main trends in jewelry this summer, which, of course, turned out to be a little crumpled this year due to the restrictions and closed borders. Fashionistas were left without parties and selfies against the backdrop of the most “instagrammable” streets of the world, but still this is no reason to lose heart and not try on actual images, because there is still time - the whole of August and the velvet season are ahead.

Moreover, this year the main trends in jewelry are touching and positive as never before, because they bring us back to the times of childhood and adolescence. All the girls who went to school at 90s and early 2000s, they remember very well what was the main hobby: of course, weaving baubles and beaded chokers. Muline was also in use, but it was the beads that were considered the coolest, even though the manufacturing process itself was somewhat more laborious and required skill.

Hiaynderfyt

Girlfriends exchanged such decorations as a sign of friendship and as a keepsake, weaving patterns were passed around in class, and money from breakfast was saved to buy another cherished bag with sparkling tiny beads.

So why are beaded jewelry remembered right now, because the fashion for the 90s has been trending for several seasons?

The point, of course, is that during self-isolation and a forced break from work, many people have time to look through their own archives, look at old photos and, of course, take up a hobby again. In addition, during this period, everyone again began to spend more time with children - hence the surge of interest in these children's jewelry and their own memories of their early years.

This "childishness" may confuse someone - after all, adults are accustomed to elegant and discreet jewelry made from nobler materials. But it is not in vain that experts note that after a rather gloomy period, people around the world seem to have become more direct and open: they are not shy about expressing sincere emotions, looking for a way to recharge with positive and communicate more willingly. Well, just like in childhood!

Beaded Breakfast

You should definitely not be afraid of beaded jewelry - it will not be difficult to integrate them into your usual look. You can even choose the right one for going to the office. Here are seven ideas on how to wear beaded jewelry and bright beads for any occasion.

Multi-layered colorful necklaces

Don't hold back - that's probably the main motto of this trend. Unlike diamonds and gold, beads do not look vulgar even in large quantities. The most popular option this summer is, of course, multi-layered combinations of several multi-colored necklace threads.

You can safely add fruit and berry pendants, plastic beads that look like lollipops, or beads with letters, which can be used to make an actual call, for example, "wash your hands."

Maniovich Store Alexa Chung

Dua Lipa

Chiara Ferragni