What necklace?
I did more research. A lot of information is included on the web pages of people selling the necklaces. Of course, this is in their best interest and I didn't trust it. I always track down peer reviewed articles, but this was difficult. In America, the only research I could find was done by geologists. Not something a typical parent would search out. I continued my search and found a ton of research done in other countries. This research was done by medical doctors, pharmacists, psychologists, and on and on! All of the studies seemed to show the necklaces work. So, we figured we might as well try it.
Necklaces under clothes
The necklaces are made of baltic amber. The research shows that when the amber is against the skin the body naturally warms it up and it releases a natural anti-inflammatory. This decreases the inflammation and pain when new teeth are coming through the gums. Honestly, at this point it still sounded crazy. I actually justified it by saying, "Best case scenario, it works. Worst case scenario, they are wearing a necklace."
Happy baby, happy dog
While the most important part is the amber, there were other considerations as well. The necklaces are supposed to fit around the neck comfortably, but not big enough for a child to place in their mouth. They only work when against the skin. Each bead should be individually tied on so that if the necklace breaks, you don't end up with an entire string of choking hazards rolling around the floor. Many of the necklaces are also made with a "weak" spot so if the necklace gets caught on something it breaks at that point and no beads get loose.
Necklace doesn't fit in mouth
We put the necklaces on our kids when they were just a couple of months old. They wear them all the time. There was a time the kids were being cared for by someone else for a few hours and they took the necklaces off, thinking they were dangerous. The kids were upset, fussy, and miserable. Within 30 minutes of putting the necklaces back on they were fine again. They wear them to bed, in the bath, literally all the time. We have not observed any teething pain. My kids aren't miserable before teeth break through. Most of the time when a tooth has broken through we don't even realize it until we see it inside their mouths. My son does have an increase in drool when teething, but it's much worse without the necklace.
Necklace and a cloth diaper, what more do you need?
I did meet one mom who bought a necklace from an unknown website and when it arrived it was plastic rather than amber. If you want to order a necklace, I recommend either of these retailers. This is not a paid advertisement. These companies have no clue who I am and I am in no way benefiting from recommending them. I have ordered items from both and have received great service.
Inspired by Finn Hip Green Baby
Finally, a picture that shows both necklaces
