Quick answer: the phrase “teething necklace” can describe two very different products. Jewelry placed around a baby's neck creates strangulation and choking risks and is not recommended by major health and product-safety authorities. A SiliChew nursing necklace is instead worn and controlled by an adult during a directly supervised interaction. It is never for a baby to wear and is not sold as a treatment for teething pain.
This guide answers the questions parents most often ask about silicone teething necklaces for mums to wear, nursing necklaces, breastfeeding necklaces, cleaning, supervision and normal teething.
Contents
- What the product is
- Safe-use routine
- Cleaning, inspection and storage
- Materials, claims and buying questions
- Teething questions
What is a nursing or adult-worn teething necklace?
1. What is a silicone nursing necklace?
It is a tactile accessory worn by a parent or caregiver during feeding, cuddles or other directly supervised moments. Some families use it to give busy hands a consistent place to touch instead of hair, skin or clothing. It stays under the adult's control throughout use.
2. Is it jewelry for a baby?
No. A baby or child must never wear the necklace. “For mum to wear,” “adult-worn” and “nursing necklace” are the important distinctions.
3. Why do shops call it a teething necklace?
The term is widely used for both adult-worn silicone accessories and child-worn amber or beaded jewelry, which creates confusion. Always check who is intended to wear the item. SiliChew uses “nursing necklace” wherever possible and states that the adult wears it.
4. Is it the same as an amber teething necklace?
No. Amber necklaces are often worn by a child and advertised with claims about substances released through the skin. Those pain-relief claims are not supported by good evidence, and child-worn necklaces present choking and strangulation hazards. SiliChew products make no amber or medical claim.
5. What can an adult-worn necklace realistically do?
It can provide a portable, tactile point of interest during a supervised routine. Individual babies respond differently, so it should not be described as guaranteed to settle, focus, soothe or relieve pain.
Safe-use routine
6. Who should wear the necklace?
Only an adult parent or caregiver. The adult should be awake, attentive and able to stop the interaction immediately.
7. Can a baby hold or mouth it?
Only if the instructions supplied with that exact product permit mouthing, and only while it remains worn and controlled by the adult under direct supervision. If the label does not confirm that use, do not assume it.
8. What does “direct supervision” mean?
It means the supervising adult is present, watching the child and close enough to intervene instantly—not working nearby, looking at a phone, driving, cooking or sleeping.
9. Can a baby sleep with it?
No. Remove it before every nap and nighttime sleep. Necklaces, cords and loose items do not belong in a baby's sleep space.
10. Can it be used in a car seat, stroller or baby carrier?
No. Remove and store it for travel and whenever straps, movement or divided adult attention could create entanglement or delayed intervention.
11. Does a breakaway clasp make it safe for a child to wear?
No. A breakaway or pop clasp can be one design feature, but it does not remove strangulation, choking or loose-part risks and never makes child-worn use acceptable.
12. Is there a recommended age?
There is no single age that makes child-worn necklace use safe. For an adult-worn nursing necklace, follow the exact product instructions and consider your baby's development and behaviour. Stop if pulling, wrapping or forceful biting cannot be controlled.
13. Should it be shared between children?
Sharing is not recommended unless the item can be cleaned exactly as instructed and has no wear or damage. Never share during illness. A second-hand item with an unknown history should be replaced.
Cleaning, inspection and storage
14. How do I clean a silicone nursing necklace?
Hand-wash before first use and after mouthing with warm water and mild soap. Rinse well and air-dry completely. Pay attention to the clasp, cord, knots and bead openings where moisture can remain.
15. Is it dishwasher safe?
Only if the instructions for the exact item say so. Even when beads tolerate heat, a cord or clasp may not.
16. Can I boil, steam, microwave or sterilize it?
Do not use those methods unless the product instructions explicitly approve them. Heat can alter components or weaken connections without obvious surface damage.
17. Can it go in the fridge or freezer?
Do not freeze the necklace. Authorities also caution that objects frozen solid can be too hard for tender gums. If cool items are wanted for teething, use an age-appropriate product according to its own instructions.
18. How should it be stored?
Store it fully dry in a clean container or pouch, away from direct heat and sunlight and completely out of children's reach. Do not leave it hanging from a cot, changing table, pram or bag where a child can reach it.
19. What damage should I look for?
Look for cracks, tears, deep tooth marks, stretching, loose beads or knots, exposed cord, stickiness, colour transfer or a clasp that no longer works normally. Inspect before every use and after cleaning.
20. Can I repair or restring it?
No. A home repair changes the original construction and can create new failure points. Discard a damaged necklace and replace it.
Materials, testing and marketing claims
21. Does “food-grade silicone” prove the whole necklace is safe?
No single phrase proves the safety of the finished product. Beads are only part of the item; cords, clasps, colourants, construction, small parts, labelling and intended age/use also matter.
22. What should I ask a seller or manufacturer?
Ask for the intended user, intended use, material specification, care instructions, traceability information and testing for the market where the product will be sold. A test report should match the exact SKU, components, colours and current version of the applicable requirements.
23. Do BPA-free, PVC-free or phthalate-free claims guarantee safety?
No. These can be useful, verifiable material statements, but they do not address every chemical, mechanical or use-related hazard. SiliChew only publishes such claims when documentation for the exact product supports them.
24. What about EN 71, UKCA, CE, ASTM or CPSIA claims?
Requirements depend on product classification and sales market. A standard number on another seller's page does not prove that a SiliChew product meets it. Ask for current, product-matched documentation and obtain qualified compliance advice before importing, distributing or making certification claims.
25. Is this a sensory therapy product?
No therapeutic claim is made. If a child has persistent chewing, feeding, sensory or developmental concerns, ask an appropriate healthcare professional for individual advice and a purpose-designed product.
Teething questions
26. When do babies usually start teething?
Timing varies. The NHS says most babies start at around six months, although some begin before four months and others after twelve months.
27. What are common signs?
Possible signs include a sore or red gum where a tooth is emerging, extra dribbling, chewing, one flushed cheek, irritability or rubbing an ear. Symptoms vary and some teeth appear with little discomfort.
28. Does teething cause fever or diarrhoea?
A true fever or diarrhoea should not simply be blamed on teething. The NHS and American Academy of Pediatrics advise seeking medical guidance for concerning symptoms, especially when a baby seems unwell.
29. What safer comfort options do health authorities suggest?
Common suggestions include gently massaging the gums with a clean finger and offering a firm, age-appropriate rubber teether or clean cool washcloth under supervision. Follow each product's instructions and avoid items that are frozen solid.
30. What about gels, tablets or pain medicine?
Ask a pediatrician, dentist or pharmacist before using medication. Suitability depends on age, symptoms, location and medical history. Do not use this page as a dosing guide.
31. When should I contact a healthcare professional?
Seek advice if symptoms worry you, your baby appears unwell, has a true fever, persistent diarrhoea, unusual sleepiness, difficulty breathing or feeding, signs of dehydration, a severe rash, or pain that does not settle. Use local urgent or emergency services for severe symptoms.
Shop and learn
View the SiliChew Luna Silicone Nursing Necklace or read the shorter SiliChew Safety Guide. Product-specific instructions always take priority over general website information.
Evidence sources
- US Food and Drug Administration: Safely Soothing Teething Pain in Infants and Children
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Teething Pain Relief
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Teething Necklaces and Beads
- NHS: Tips for Helping Your Teething Baby
- NHS: Baby Teething Symptoms
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Strings, Cords and Necklaces Can Strangle Infants
Educational information only; not medical advice. Last reviewed 13 July 2026.