Is Silicone Teether Safe for Newborns? What Indian Pediatricians Say

Every new parent knows the moment: your baby won't stop fussing, their gums are swollen and tender, and someone at the family gathering holds up a teether and says, "Just give them this." Your first instinct is not relief — it's suspicion. What is this made of? Is it actually safe to put in my baby's mouth?

That instinct is exactly right. You should ask. And the good news is that the answer, when it comes to food-grade silicone teethers, is a reassuring one — backed by material science, Indian safety standards, and pediatric guidance.

This post walks you through everything you need to know before choosing a teether for your newborn, so you can stop guessing and start feeling confident.

What Is Food-Grade Silicone? (And Why It Matters)

Silicone is a synthetic material made from silicon — a naturally occurring element found in sand and quartz — combined with oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. Food-grade silicone is a specific grade of this material that has been formulated and tested to be safe for contact with food and with a baby's mouth.

Here is what makes food-grade silicone different from regular or industrial silicone:

• No fillers or extenders. Cheap silicone products are often bulked up with chalk, talc, or other filler compounds to reduce cost. Food-grade silicone contains none of these.
• No BPA, phthalates, or PVC. These are the chemical plasticisers and hardeners found in older plastics and rubber products. Food-grade silicone does not need them and does not contain them.
• Chemically stable. It does not degrade, leach, or react when exposed to saliva, heat, or cold — meaning nothing transfers into your baby's mouth during teething.
• Hypoallergenic. Food-grade silicone is non-porous, so it does not harbour bacteria or mould the way porous materials can.

A simple test parents often use: pinch and twist a white or light-coloured silicone product firmly. If a white residue or colour change appears, it likely contains fillers and is not pure food-grade silicone. Pure food-grade silicone will hold its colour.

Is Silicone Teether Safe for Newborns? How It Compares to Rubber, PVC, and Plastic

When parents ask is silicone teether safe for newborns, the comparison that matters most is against the alternatives: natural rubber, PVC plastic, and hard plastic.

Material	BPA-Free	Latex Risk	Chemical Leaching	Durability	Recommended
Food-Grade Silicone	Yes	No	Very low	High	Yes
Natural Rubber	Yes	Yes (latex allergy risk)	Low	Medium	With caution
PVC / Soft Plastic	Often no	No	High (phthalates)	Medium	No
Hard Plastic	Varies	No	Medium	High	No

 

Natural rubber is organic and generally safe, but carries a meaningful latex allergy risk. India's latex allergy incidence in children is not comprehensively tracked, but global data suggests 1–6% of the general population is sensitised — and the safest approach is to avoid latex exposure in infancy altogether.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is the material in many brightly coloured cheap teethers sold at local markets and on discount ecommerce platforms. It requires chemical plasticisers called phthalates to stay soft. Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals — meaning they interfere with hormone function — and they are classified as hazardous to children by the European Chemicals Agency.

Food-grade silicone carries none of these risks. It is inert, stable, and the same material used in baby feeding bottles, pacifiers, and medical-grade equipment. Pediatric dentists and paediatricians in India widely recommend it as the lowest-risk teething material available.

What BIS Certification Means for Indian Parents

If you are buying a teether in India, the single most important safety signal you can look for is BIS certification — specifically compliance with IS 9873, which is India's Bureau of Indian Standards specification for child use and care articles.

Here is what that standard actually requires. IS 9873 (Parts 1 and 2) covers toys and children's products for safety. For teething products specifically, it mandates:

• Migration testing — limits on how much of any chemical can migrate out of the material into a simulated saliva solution. This is the key test that proves a product will not leach harmful substances into your baby's mouth.
• Mechanical safety — the teether must not break into small parts that could become a choking hazard under normal use and stress.
• Bite-force resistance — the product must withstand repeated biting without structural failure.
• No prohibited substances — heavy metals (lead, cadmium), BPA, phthalates, and certain dyes are all tested and must fall below safe threshold levels.

BIS certification is not self-declared. A manufacturer must submit products to a BIS-accredited laboratory, pass standardised tests, and only then receives the right to display the ISI mark. This is meaningful third-party verification — not just a marketing claim printed on packaging.

Pro Tip: You can verify a company's BIS licence number on the official BIS portal at bis.gov.in. Legitimate brands will share this number openly.

How to Spot a Safe Silicone Teether: A Parent's Checklist

Before you add any teether to your cart, run through this checklist:

• ☐ Food-grade silicone stated explicitly — not just "silicone" or "soft material"
• ☐ BIS certified with a visible ISI mark or licence number you can verify
• ☐ No BPA, phthalates, or PVC — all three should be called out, not just BPA
• ☐ Passed migration testing — the brand should be able to tell you this if asked
• ☐ No paint or metallic coatings on chewable surfaces
• ☐ One-piece construction — no detachable parts that could be swallowed
• ☐ Size appropriate for a newborn — too small means choking risk; too large and the baby cannot hold it
• ☐ Easy to clean and sterilise — safe for boiling or cold water sterilisation

If a product listing cannot answer yes to the first four items, move on.

Red Flags to Watch for When Buying Online

Indian ecommerce platforms carry thousands of teether listings. Many are safe. Some are not. Here is what to look for before you buy:

• Vague material descriptions. "Food-safe material," "non-toxic rubber," or "BPA-free plastic" are not the same as food-grade silicone. Imprecise language on a baby product page is a warning sign.
• No brand information or country of manufacture. Anonymous white-label products with no traceable manufacturer have no accountability for safety testing.
• Unusually low prices. A high-quality food-grade silicone teether has material and testing costs behind it. A teether priced at Rs. 49 has almost certainly cut corners somewhere.
• No mention of BIS certification. Absence of this detail on an Indian baby product is not a neutral fact — it is a signal.
• Strong chemical smell out of the box. Food-grade silicone is nearly odourless. A sharp chemical or rubber smell suggests either poor-quality silicone with fillers or a non-silicone material entirely.
• Listings with no customer reviews or only generic photo reviews. Real parents buying safe products leave detailed feedback. Look for reviews that mention quality, smell, and longevity.

What Nubokind Parents Choose

For parents looking for a verified, BIS-certified option made specifically for Indian newborns, the Nubokind Kiko No-Drop Newborn Teether is designed for the earliest teething stage — with a no-drop handle suited to a newborn's limited grip and a 100% food-grade silicone chewing surface. For slightly older babies ready for a ring-style teether, the Nubokind Ele Ring Teether offers the same material safety in a shape that supports developing hand-to-mouth coordination.

Both are BIS certified and free from BPA, phthalates, and PVC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is silicone teether safe for newborns?

Yes — food-grade silicone is widely considered the safest teether material available for newborns. It is chemically inert, contains no BPA, latex, or phthalates, and does not degrade or leach under normal use. Always verify the product is food-grade and BIS certified before purchasing.

What is food-grade silicone?

Food-grade silicone is a specific formulation of silicone that has been tested and certified safe for direct contact with food and mouth tissue. It contains no fillers, plasticisers, or prohibited chemicals, and is the same material used in feeding bottles, pacifiers, and medical devices.

How do I know if a teether is BIS certified in India?

A BIS-certified product will carry the ISI mark and the manufacturer's BIS licence number on its packaging. You can verify this number independently on the Bureau of Indian Standards portal at bis.gov.in. If a brand cannot provide their BIS licence number when asked, treat that as a red flag.

Can silicone teethers cause allergies in babies?

Food-grade silicone is hypoallergenic and allergic reactions to it are extremely rare. Unlike natural rubber, it contains no latex proteins — the most common cause of material-related allergies in infants. If your baby shows any unusual reaction to a teether, discontinue use and consult your paediatrician.

The Bottom Line

A teether goes into your baby's mouth dozens of times a day. It deserves the same scrutiny you would give anything else in their diet. Food-grade silicone, when properly certified and honestly labelled, is safe, durable, and the right choice for Indian newborns.

Look for BIS certification, verify the licence number, and skip any product that cannot tell you exactly what it is made of. Your instinct to ask questions before handing something to your baby is not paranoia — it is good parenting.