Parents are being warned about the risks of amber teething necklaces after a young mother found her 15-month-old daughter almost strangled to death by one in her cot last month . When Ashleigh Ferguson came into her daughter Ellie 's bedroom , she found her usually bubbly child face down and silent , with her amber teething necklace twisted around her neck . 'It was wrapped around her arm and neck with a twist in between and my stomach just dropped with a sickening feeling that something like this could even happen , ' Ms Ferguson , 26 , told the Daily Telegraph . Scroll down for video . Parents have been warned about using amber necklaces to relieve teething in children . 'If the pressure on her neck had been in a slightly different point , it ’ s unimaginable , ' she said . The amber necklaces , which are widely available through health food stores and chemists are said to have been worn for centuries to reduce teething pain . Retailers claim that when they 're worn close to the skin , the amber beads release succinic acid which relieves pain . But the Therapeutic Goods Administration states there is no evidence amber necklaces offer any relief from the symptoms of teething and in 2011 , the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a warning on the necklaces . They posed two potential hazards strangulation and choking , the ACCC said . After testing several products , it found the necklaces could break and release small parts 'which could result in choking hazards to children under three ' . Ashleigh Ferguson found her daughter Ellie with one of the necklaces twisted around her neck in her cot , face down . 'It is likely that unsupervised teething infants wearing amber teething necklaces or bracelets will mouth or chew the product , ' the report warned . 'Is it worth the risk , especially when used unsupervised as in a sleeping environment ? ' Jill Green , National Manager of Education and Bereavement support at Australian non-profit organisation Sids and Kids , said . Australian not-for-profit organisation Sids and Kids and the ACCC have warned parents against the product . 'We need to need to look at why they 're promoting these products . 'If you go into a nursery store , you 'll see so many products that say they will prevent this and that . We need to be very careful that we 're not manufacturing anxiety and we need more evidence that it works and more information about the risks associated with it . For more information about Amber necklaces and for parenting support , visit the Sids and Kids website .
15 month-old daughter almost strangled in her cot by amber teething necklace . Parents warned not to leave children unsupervised . The ACCC says the necklaces pose a risk of strangling and choking .