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The amber necklace is a regular fixture in health magazines. On the one hand, it would have sensational virtues, in the field of the supernatural, and on the other, it would only be decorative, totally ineffective against Baby’s troubles, even dangerous for him.
The supposed virtues of the amber necklace on the health of your child
Since Antiquity, many virtues have been attributed to the amber necklace. It would soothe the tooth fires of baby’s dental eruptions, it would make it easier for children to sleep, it would help them fight against diseases by strengthening immunity… Why would amber have all these benefits? It is especially the analgesic effect that is often put forward. For a long time, parents (and doctors) equated teething with fever, diarrhea or seizures. Thus, traditions and popular beliefs pushed parents towards “natural” remedies, quite simply because the pharmacological arsenal was then very limited. Nineteenth-century medicine was not the same as that of today: basic care, high infant mortality … To relieve their child, parents have therefore long resorted to other practices, religious or esoteric, like wearing amber necklace.
Even today, when the infant is teething or spends difficult nights, for example, many young parents, helpless in the face of ill of their little one, are tempted to turn to the amber necklace. Yet advances in medicine have paved the way for other ways to treat ailments in babies.
Amber, effects that are not proven
Amber refers to a fossilized resin secreted by conifers. Now extinct, amber is no longer collected in the sap of these trees but in the depths of the Baltic Sea. Many websites praise its merits for health, however, its virtues are not scientifically proven. In 2012, the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) asked a merchant site to withdraw claims on the health benefits of amber necklaces, due to “false advertising ”. Indeed, article L. 5122-15 of the Public Health Code states that false advertisements extolling the benefits of certain products in the absence of scientific proof remain prohibited. The sites and companies marketing amber stones are therefore very careful in their formulations. However, they continue to offer them for sale.
The dangers of the amber necklace for babies
We now know the supposed benefits of amber, but what about its dangers?
The risks of strangulation caused by a collar hanging on the bars of the crib or on a piece of furniture are real. Several cases of death have been reported. In the United States, this method of strangulation was even the leading cause of traumatic death in children under one year of age in the 2000s. In France, in 2003, 30 cases of death of children by strangulation were recorded. . These cases prompted the DGCCRF to carry out more checks on the safety of amber necklaces. Results: after checks, nine out of ten necklaces did not comply with the regulations, according to which they had to break with a tensile force of less than 2,5 kilos, without releasing the pearls liable to be swallowed or inhaled. The amber necklaces had thus been withdrawn from sale.
What alternatives to the amber necklace?
Does your kid have a toothache? Medically tested methods exist to remedy this. To soothe the pain of teething, there are plastic or rubber toys that your little one can safely chew on. Placing these objects in the refrigerator accentuates the numbing effect of the remedy. Small problem, however: the American Academy of Medicine does not recommend the use of frozen teething rings, because they prove to be too hard for the fragile gums of babies.
A washcloth, or finger massage
Another alternative: the damp washcloth placed in the freezer. It provides relief for your child’s gums. Massaging with one of your (clean) fingers can also be a solution. Another remedy: an analgesic (paracetamol type) dosed to its weight: 15 milligrams / kilo every 6 hours.
Teething does not require treatment other than fever and pain. In case of excessive pain, consult a pediatrician.