The US Food and Drug Administration is sending out warnings to parents and caregivers related to the use of teething necklaces or bracelets after an 18-month-old child died. The agency even discourages the use of teething products to get rid of the pain in kids or even to offer sensory stimulation to kids suffering from autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The warning follows a report of the death of an 18-month-old child after the child got strangled by an amber teething necklace, while taking a nap. There was another report of a 7-month old, who was hospitalized after getting choked on the beads of a bracelet that carried wooden teething.
The Commissioner of FDA, Dr Scott Gottlieb said on Thursday that they are concerned about the risks, which they have observed with all these products. Hence they want parents to be very particular and aware of the fact that teething jewellery puts children and all those with special needs, at risk of getting seriously injured, which might even lead to death. The American Academy of Paediatrics advises parents on how they can ease the pain from teething. It said that parents can do so by making use of teething rings made of firm rubber or by rubbing in a gentle manner or even by massaging gums with one of their fingers.
It was back in the month of May when the FDA had warned about the use of over-the-counter teething products that contained benzocaine. Products that contained benzocaine include Orajel or Anbesol. The FDA said that there is sufficient proof of certain links to an extremely dangerous as well as a potentially fatal condition of the blood. The FDA had even stressed the risks of using these kinds of jewellery for getting relief from teething pain that includes not only choking along with strangulation but also causing injury to a child’s mouth. Then there will always be the possibility of an infection that might crop up as well.
