Are Amber Teething Necklaces Safe? What the FDA Says and Safer Options

If you are searching for an amber teething necklace, you are almost certainly exhausted, watching your baby gnaw on everything in sight, and looking for anything that helps. Amber necklaces are everywhere on parenting feeds and baby boutiques, which makes them feel both natural and approved. They are neither. The short answer: amber teething necklaces are not safe for babies, the science behind them does not hold up, and the main risks are choking and strangulation. Here is what the evidence actually says, and what to reach for instead.

What the FDA actually warns about

In December 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public warning about teething jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and anklets made from amber, wood, marble, or silicone. The agency was direct: these products can lead to choking, strangulation, injury to the mouth, and infection. The FDA recommended that parents and caregivers not use them. You can read the agency's consumer guidance on the FDA website.

The warning was not theoretical. The FDA reported a death from strangulation, an 18-month-old who was strangled by an amber necklace during a nap, and a separate case of a 7-month-old who choked on the beads of a wooden teething bracelet. Those are the two ways teething jewelry hurts babies.

The two real dangers

Strangulation happens when a necklace tightens around the neck or catches on something like a crib slat, a car-seat buckle, or a sibling's hand. It can happen fast and silently, which is why "I only use it when I am watching" is not a reliable safeguard.

Choking happens when the string breaks and a bead comes loose. Amber beads are exactly the small, hard, round size that lodges in a tiny airway. Marketers often point to "safety clasps" and individually knotted beads, but no design removes the basic problem of putting a beaded cord around an infant's neck.

Does the amber actually do anything?

The selling point is succinic acid. The claim goes like this: amber contains succinic acid, your baby's body heat warms the amber, the acid releases onto the skin, absorbs into the bloodstream, and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.

There is no solid science to support any step of that chain. Amber would need to reach temperatures far higher than skin warmth to release meaningful succinic acid, and there is no evidence that the amount supposedly released absorbs through skin or reduces pain. The FDA has not found these claims to be supported, and the AAP notes there is no proof teething necklaces work.

What parents often experience is normal teething: symptoms come in waves and settle on their own within a few days. Put a necklace on during a rough stretch, see the fussiness fade a day later, and it is easy to credit the amber. That is timing, not treatment.

Why "natural" does not mean "safe"

Amber is a natural material, and that framing does a lot of marketing work. But a peanut, a grape, and a button battery are all "natural" or everyday objects that are dangerous to a baby in the wrong form. The hazard here is not chemical. It is mechanical: a cord around a neck and small beads near an airway.

It is also worth knowing that teething itself causes fewer symptoms than parents expect. Drooling, gum rubbing, and mild irritability are common. A true fever (100.4 F or higher), diarrhea, or a baby who seems genuinely sick is not caused by teething and should prompt a call to your pediatrician, per Mayo Clinic guidance on infant teething. Blaming everything on teeth can delay care for an actual illness.

Skip the numbing gels too

While you are clearing the medicine cabinet, skip over-the-counter benzocaine gels like Orajel marketed for teething. The FDA warns that benzocaine should not be used for children younger than 2 because it can cause methemoglobinemia, a rare but serious condition that drops the oxygen carried in the blood. The AAP also advises against benzocaine and other numbing products for infants. Homeopathic teething tablets and gels have separately been the subject of FDA safety alerts.

Safer ways to soothe a teething baby

The good news is that the things that actually help are cheap, simple, and low-risk. The AAP's HealthyChildren.org recommends a few approaches.

Cold, but not frozen

A clean, damp washcloth chilled in the fridge (or briefly in the freezer so it is cold, not stiff) gives a baby something cool and textured to chew. Cold dulls gum pain. Avoid teething rings frozen solid, which are too hard and can bruise tender gums.

A solid silicone or rubber teether

Choose a one-piece teether with no small parts to break off and no liquid or gel filling that can leak if punctured. Wide, easy-to-grip shapes work well for little hands. A chilled (refrigerated, not frozen) silicone or natural-rubber ring is a safe and effective standby.

Gum massage

Wash your hands, then rub your baby's gums firmly with a clean finger for a minute or two. The counter-pressure feels good and costs nothing. You can do it as often as your baby will let you.

Ask about acetaminophen for a hard day

If your baby is in real pain and not just fussy, ask your pediatrician about an appropriate dose of infant acetaminophen. It is a far safer choice than numbing gels or jewelry.

A quick note on ranges: babies teethe on wildly different schedules, anywhere from around 4 months to past their first birthday, and some sail through with barely a complaint. None of that is cause for worry.

When to call your provider

Reach out to your pediatrician if your baby has a fever of 100.4 F or higher, diarrhea, a rash, refuses to eat or drink, or seems unusually lethargic or inconsolable. These are signs of illness, not teething, and deserve a real evaluation. If you are ever unsure whether a symptom is "just teeth," it is always reasonable to call and ask.

Bottom line: an amber teething necklace is a risk without a benefit. A cold washcloth and a clean finger will do more, and they will never wrap around your baby's neck.