Mum's warning over the dangers of amber teething necklaces
Lots of mums will try anything to soothe the symptoms of teething, including giving them an amber teething necklace to wear.
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But one mum is warning other parents about the potential dangers after she discovered her 15-month-old little girl choking on one in her cot.
Ashleigh Ferguson, from Australia, posted the following warning up on Facebook:
She also posted the following images of the necklace and the marks it left on her little girl's body.
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Amber teething necklaces claim to work by releasing therapeutic succinic acid into the baby’s skin, helping to relieve the inflammation and drooling associated with teething.
They're widely available and popular with parents all around the world. They've also been seen adorning the necks of celebrity tots, with Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen sharing photos of their children wearing them.
However, they do come with warnings on the packaging never to use when a child is sleeping.
Dr Natasha Burgert, a paediatrician in Kansas City, Missouri, who has blogged about amber necklaces, warns:
"The risk is two-fold — strangulation and choking. And that’s not only for these teething necklaces. In general practice, the American Academy of Paediatrics doesn’t recommend that infants wear any jewellery."
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