Is it safe to let a baby teethe on a silicone necklace mom wears?
Use caution. A necklace worn by an adult is not the same as a teether made only for a baby mouth.
What to know
A silicone necklace can look like a teether, but it is still jewelry. The big concerns are choking, breakaway safety, cleaning, and whether the product was made and labeled for baby mouth contact.
Do not let a baby chew on regular fashion jewelry. For silicone teething jewelry, use it only when an adult is wearing it and watching closely. Take it away if beads are loose, the cord frays, the clasp fails, or the surface gets sticky or damaged.
What the research says
FDA teething guidance warns parents not to use teething jewelry for infants and children because it can cause choking or strangulation. FDA also warns against benzocaine and lidocaine teething products for babies.
A 2025 Chemosphere study tested bisphenol migration from children's products under simulated oral exposure. It does not test every silicone necklace. It does support treating mouth-contact baby products as a higher-scrutiny category.
For sore gums, rub the gums with a clean finger or use a firm teething product made for mouth contact and used exactly as labeled. Do not freeze hard teethers, and replace anything that cracks, tears, or gets rough.