An amber teething necklace is a string of small Baltic amber beads designed to be worn around a baby’s neck, wrist, or ankle during teething. Sellers claim the beads release a natural pain-relieving substance when warmed by the child’s skin. Lab testing has found no evidence this actually happens, and both the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend against using them.
What Baltic Amber Is
Baltic amber is fossilized tree resin, millions of years old, sourced primarily from the region around the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It contains a compound called succinic acid, which is the basis for virtually every health claim tied to these necklaces. The beads are typically strung on a cord with individual knots between each one, and many come with a clasp designed to break under pressure. They range in color from pale yellow to dark brown.
The Claimed Mechanism
The core idea is that a baby’s body heat warms the amber beads enough to release succinic acid, which then absorbs through the skin and reduces inflammation and pain from teething. This claim sounds plausible on the surface: succinic acid is a real chemical, Baltic amber genuinely contains it, and the compound does have some biological activity in other contexts. But the chain of events required for this to work, from bead to skin to pain relief, has a critical weak link.
What Lab Testing Actually Found
Researchers at a university lab put this claim to the test. They submerged amber beads in solutions that mimicked the acidity and oiliness of human skin, held them at body temperature (37°C), and waited up to 24 weeks, far longer than any child would wear a necklace in one stretch. They tested light, medium, and dark beads separately.
The result: no succinic acid was released from intact beads under any skin-like condition. Zero, across all colors, for the full six months. The only exception was light-colored beads placed in an oil-like solvent, which physically broke apart into shards and released a tiny amount (less than 1 milligram from 22 beads). That fragmentation wouldn’t happen on a child’s skin.
The reason is straightforward. Most of the succinic acid inside amber isn’t floating freely. It’s chemically bonded into the resin’s structure, locked in place by the same fossilization process that turned tree sap into stone over millions of years. Body heat simply isn’t enough energy to break those bonds and liberate the acid. The study, published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, concluded there is no evidence that the supposed active ingredient could be released from beads into human skin.
Safety Risks
Beyond the lack of evidence for pain relief, amber teething necklaces carry real physical dangers. The FDA has received reports of children choking on beads that broke free from the string. In one reported case, an 18-month-old was strangled to death by an amber necklace during a nap.
The two main risks are strangulation and choking. A cord around a small child’s neck can catch on crib slats, car seat straps, or other objects. Even necklaces marketed with “breakaway” clasps don’t eliminate the risk entirely, because the force needed to trigger the clasp can still be enough to restrict breathing before it releases. Individual beads, once loose, are the right size to lodge in an infant’s airway.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend that infants wear any jewelry. The FDA has issued a specific safety communication warning against teething necklaces, bracelets, and similar jewelry marketed for pain relief or sensory stimulation.
Why Parents Believe They Work
Teething pain is real, and parents understandably want to help. But teething is also unpredictable. Babies have fussy days and calm days regardless of what they’re wearing, and pain from a new tooth breaking through tends to come and go on its own. When a parent puts on an amber necklace and the baby happens to have a good day, it’s natural to credit the necklace. This is a textbook example of confirmation bias, and it’s reinforced by word of mouth from other parents who had the same experience.
Alternatives That Work
The AAP and FDA recommend a few simple approaches for teething discomfort. Rubbing a baby’s swollen gums with a clean finger provides counter-pressure that can soothe pain. A firm rubber teething ring (not liquid-filled) gives babies something safe to chew on. You can chill the ring in the refrigerator for added relief, but don’t freeze it, as a frozen teether can be too hard and hurt the gums rather than help them.