(WHDH) — The FDA is warning parents, caregivers, and health care providers about the safety risks posed by children’s jewelry used for relieving teething pain.
The agency warns that the items — which come in various forms, including a necklace, bracelet, or anklet and are often used by parents and caregivers to relieve infants’ teething pain — can be deadly.
The FDA’s safety communication noted two incidents, one involving a 7-month old child who choked on the beads of a wooden teething bracelet while under parental supervision and was taken to the hospital, and another involving an 18-month old child who was strangled to death by his amber teething necklace while taking a nap.
“We know that teething necklaces and jewelry products have become increasingly popular among parents and caregivers who want to provide relief for children’s teething pain and sensory stimulation for children with special needs. We’re concerned about the risks we’ve observed with these products and want parents to be aware that teething jewelry puts children, including those with special needs, at risk of serious injury and death,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. “Consumers should consider following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations of alternative ways for treating teething pain, such as rubbing inflamed gums with a clean finger or using a teething ring made of firm rubber. Given the breadth of the market for these teething necklaces and jewelry, we’re sharing this important safety information directly to consumers in order to help prevent injuries in infants and kids.”
The agency is encouraging consumers and health care professionals to report injuries or adverse events that occur from using teething jewelry by filing a report at 1-800-FDA-1088 or online at MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program.
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