Are jewels with amber pearls dangerous? Some time ago a photo of Gisele Bündchen raised the question. Amber pearls could be harmful to children. Read why ♦
Amber alarm. When the model Gisele Bündchen, years ago, posted a photo of herself and her baby girl on Instagram, a debate started on the Net. The photo showed her baby girl with tiny earrings. But the controversy was not about whether it was the appropriate age for an ear piercing, but about the amber necklace around the girl’s neck. In fact, Baltic amber necklaces have become popular as an alternative treatment to relieve the pain caused by teething in infants. There is actually no clear scientific evidence that a necklace has a positive effect, but advocates say that when heated by the temperature of the child’s body, amber releases a pain reliever substance, which is then absorbed through the skin.
On the contrary, however, there are those who indicate the danger of causing suffocation, especially if children are left unattended. In 2010, Health Canada, the federal department of health, determined that children’s necklaces are a problem, enough to justify a consumer safety warning. So much so that France and Switzerland have banned the sale of necklaces in pharmacies. Suffocation is the leading cause of death for children under one year of age and among the top five for children aged between one and four years. The amber necklaces sellers, of course, reject the accusations: they claim that the necklaces are secure, because the thread knotted between each bead prevents the pearls in the necklace from melting, even if it is broken.
Still, the necklaces are produced and sold without a safety standard and there are no guarantees that any closures of the jewel will not fall apart. Furthermore, the more prudent point out that if the necklace gets caught there would also be the risk of strangulation of the baby. In short, amber is good for the neck of an adult, for safety it is better to leave children alone. Giulia Netrese
