Cross-sectional study evaluates caregivers' knowledge and practices about amber teething accessories, highlighting safety concerns.
AIM: To evaluate caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding amber teething accessories and associated safety risks. METHODS: Caregivers of children aged 6-48 months completed a structured Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices questionnaire. Participants were recruited from pediatric dental clinics, daycare centers, and online platforms between February and June 2025. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation were used (α = 0.05). RESULTS: One hundred caregivers participated. Although 83% were aware of amber accessories, only 37% understood their purported mechanism of action. Overall, 44% reported previous use or intention to use these products, whereas only 12.2% sought professional guidance. Despite recognition of strangulation (69%) and ingestion risks (83%), potentially unsafe practices were reported, including inadequate hygiene and limited precautionary behaviors. Knowledge was strongly correlated with attitudes (p < 0.001), while attitudes were weakly correlated with practices (p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers showed knowledge gaps and reported potentially unsafe practices regarding amber teething accessories. These exploratory findings support evidence-based educational strategies and further research using instruments with established reliability.
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Molena et al. (2026) studied this question.
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