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Jeremiah McNichols:  Teething infants will put just about anything in their mouths, which makes dedicated teethers a practical toy purchase that will quickly become an obsession for your little one. Thankfully, after decades of sketchy plastics as the sole recourse for infants with the primal urge to chew, several companies are offering more natural options that are free of questionable chemicals and are much kinder to the earth in their production.

The two standout materials for infant teethers not made of plastic are wood and cloth, and the thing for parents to remember is that "teethers" need not be a fixed category, but is anything that is small enough for your baby to handle and gnaw on safely that gives them pleasure in doing so. Under the Nile has been making their Baby Buddies for years now, and Sckoon makes a cute lookalike, both made of organic cotton.  Under the Nile has a wide range of stuffed vegetables too; their carrot was one of our first baby gifts and remains a favorite in our household (the green parts double as hair).

For wood, most companies choose softer woods that have a pleasant "mouth feel" (or so I'm told) and don't splinter.  Imagiplay makes several well-crafted beechwood rattles that sell for around $12, and Camden Rose makes a maple "natural teething ring" for around $11 that is the essence of simplicity, or a "Cheery Rattle" if you're looking to provide a bit of aural stimulation as well.

Teethers by German giant Haba are made of beechwood and/or maple and are finished with bright, bold, non-toxic paints. Several of their "clutching toy" designs (which also make great teethers) are truly triumphs of modern product design (we have written at length about the Moby on Z Recommends). Another well-known German manufacturer of wooden toys, Selecta, makes attractive wooden teethers too.

Haba also excels at combining materials in intuitive ways, and has several attractive wood and fabric teethers, but unfortunately the fabric doesn't appear to be organic.

Yet another option, if you don't mind a bit of (extra) drool in your wardrobe, is a teething necklace. Teething fashion accessories have found favor among new mothers who recognize the value in turning teething time into more mommy and baby time, and companies like Smart Mom Jewelry have stepped in and done a brisk business.  Smart Mom's "Teething Bling" necklaces are made of plastic, but the company reports that they are lead, BPA, phthalate, and PVC-free.  Make sure you read the fine print carefully if you're looking at amber "teething necklaces" - their sellers claim that they provide relief by being worn by infants, but no one claims they are safe to chew on.

If you're looking for familiar brands in local stores or online, visit the ZRecs Guide to Safer Teethers, a compilation of company-reported information on which of their products are known to be free of BPA, phthalates, and/or PVC.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.

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