Keep Your Baby Safe From Chemicals While Teething
What to look for and easy DIY alternatives!
A teething baby can simultaneously be exciting and stressful. Your baby is growing up! But there’s lots of drool and crying. Teethers are an essential tool for dealing with new teeth, but not all teethers are created equally.
Problems with Teethers
No matter where you shop, it’s hard to avoid seeing plastic teethers. Plastic seems like a good material for teethers because it’s flexible and can withstand being chilled in the freezer, but many teethers are made from petroleum-based plastic, vinyl, or latex. We know plastics and vinyl can contain harmful phthalates, parabens, bisphenols, and other endocrine-disrupting compounds. A few studies have found that these chemicals can actually leach out of teethers (1)(2). We definitely don’t want our babies chewing on something like that! Even a teether labeled “BPA-free” shouldn’t be considered to be safe.
Buying a Safe Alternative
Luckily, there are a lot of safer alternatives on the market. Food-grade silicone is pretty widely available already, and it continues to grow in popularity. Silicone is a super durable material and can withstand lots of chewing and drool! Plus, it’s easy to clean and can often be thrown into the dishwasher.
Teethers made from wood are another great option. It’s hard to get more natural than wood! It’s also naturally antibacterial, so you don’t have to worry as much if the teether gets dropped on the floor. Wood teethers can come in all shapes and sizes, from fun animal cut outs to wooden beads you can string together. We prefer wood that hasn’t been painted or treated with any weird stains, but make sure the surface is smooth! You can condition the wood with natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil, or olive olive.
DIY Teething Hacks
If you’re feeling crafty or just want to give your credit card a break, there are awesome DIY teethers you can create without having to leave your home.
- Take a damp washcloth, twist it into a rope, and let freeze in the freezer
- Freeze or cool a bagel. Make sure your baby can sit upright for this teether
- Take a spoon and store in the fridge until cool (don’t put this one in the freezer!)
- Create your own homemade popsicles! Check out our popsicle ideas for inspiration
References
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.6b04128
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jat.3159