WASHINGTON (WTOL) - The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents against having their children use teething necklaces and bracelets after the strangulation death of an 18-month-old boy.
The FDA is asking caregivers to stop letting their children use the products, which are intended to relieve pain or to offer sensory stimulation for children with autism or ADHD.
The warning issued Thursday comes in response to a small number of medical device reports.
One report involved 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. Another involved an 18-month-old child who was strangled to death by his amber teething necklace during a nap.
"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 Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement released Thursday.
Instead of using the teething jewelry, pediatric experts including the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using firm rubber teething rings or rubbing the child's gum with your fingers.
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