I first heard of amber teething necklaces from a friend whose child wore one. At first I though the child was supposed to chew on them to get relief. This is not the case. A baby need simply wear one against the skin in order to feel better while teething.
How do they work? There are two theories behind this. The first is that amber, which is a resin, not a stone, is warm to the touch. When the skin warms the amber it releases very small amounts of healing oils which travel through the skin to the bloodstream. In parts of Europe, amber teething necklaces are sold in pharmacies and doctors recognize the calming effects they have on infants when they are in pain.
"A second theory is based on scientific findings which have shown that amber is electromagnetically alive and therefore charged with a significant amount of organic energy. Its special attribute is the fact that it is electronegative. Wearing amber produces negative ionisation on the skin's surface. This, in turn, has a positive influence on the human body. The negative ions assist in the in the prevention of illness. These health-promoting effects apply to babies, children and adults alike."
Found here
Like many natural remedies and even drugs, nothing works for everyone. However, the dozen or so families that I know who use these necklaces swear by them. I must say that I can tell a difference in my baby. She doesn't drool or hold her mouth in that painful way that my other child did when she was teething. I use my necklace in combination with occasional homeopathic camilia drops to soothe and provide pain relief. I have never needed to use a drug for teething with either child. Sometimes the only way I even know a tooth is coming is that my baby has a diaper rash, something she only gets when a tooth is breaking the surface. Known teething complications include lack of appetite, upset tummy, ear ache, fevers and colds. Anyway, there are no side effects to wearing amber for long periods so I feel they are worth a try.
Tomorrow, in part two, I will include a tutorial on how to make your own amber teething necklace.
6 comments:
So glad to see that the teething necklace has finally happened!
We love ours! I can't imagine Sebastian without it - he's been wearing it since he was 2.5 months and cut his first tooth at 3 months!
I have never heard of this, and I have to admit I thought the baby was supposed to chew on it at first too. Very interesting.
Oh, my goodness...that is one seriously adorable baby grin! What a cutie!
My baby wears a teething necklace (can't swear by it yet, as she has no teeth!) and I'm forever having to explain it to people. Hadn't heard your second explanation before.
What a great post! It's nice to see all the smart folks catching on to what the ancients knew and practiced! Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special.
what a perfect baby u have!!! no teething necklace for us-these boyz not too bad either with the whole tooth thing-Peter thinks they're a safety hazard but as a mom of no girls, am seriously tempted to buy one & put under his turtleneck onesies!
camilia drops, i think i will give it a try.
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