Keeping baby safe - What's New? - www.thebabyproofer.com provides child safety equipment

Infants, especially once they learn to crawl, then stand erect and become toddlers, can get into enough situations to turn anxious parents' hair prematurely gray. As many hazards as an adult mind can conceive of, a curious child can find new ones as it explores rapidly expanding new parameters around the house. This scary reality has engendered an entire industry churning out so-called "childproof" goods. Yet, it is the presence of items commonly found around the home that often creates a far-greater danger.

Before parents turn totally paranoid, they might consider going online to www.thebabyproofer.com. The ingenious people behind this website have assembled a plethora of safety devices for every room, monitors, strollers and car seats with built-in protection, and covers and guards specially designed to keep tiny, exploring fingers and other body parts out of harm's way. Rather than one company trying to produce something to meet every contingency, the website has cherry picked the best from several manufacturers and brought them together in a single source.

Particularly clever is an 18-item gift basket ideal for baby showers or for presentation to first-time parents to celebrate the birth of their offspring. (Of course, those not lucky enough to receive such a collection can avail themselves of the collective wisdom behind the website and order the basket themselves.) Included are covers for power strips and electrical outlets; latches for drawers, cabinets, and toilet lids; doorstops; padded guards for crib corners; and, for the tub, an elephant head-shaped cushion that slides over a spout to protect against head bumps (the water comes out through the trunk) and a rubber ducky that monitors water temperature and signals whether it is too hot to immerse the tot into.

This comprehensive safety package goes for $79.99 and, when its contents are properly utilized, can help alleviate many of parents' worries. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that ongoing vigilance remains the key to keeping baby safe.

A snap-in cover will prevent kids from sticking their fingers or anything else into an electrical outlet, but that will require removing it anytime you want to plug something in, then remembering to reinstate it when you're through in order to ensure safety. There is, however, an alternative to this in-again, out-again system that provides safety without giving up convenience.

The Outlet Protector from LectraLock, Gloucester, Mass., is a clear Lexan plastic cover that forms a box around a wall outlet, preventing a child from getting at the source of electricity. Two wire-sized holes at the side allow plugs to be inserted into the socket before the cover is snapped closed, so the outlet is functional, but inaccessible. The device is installed simply by using its screw to replace the one that holds the outlet in place. Not only does this baby-proof the outlet, but the plug cannot be bent or crushed, which might cause a fire.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

LectraLock Outlet Protectors come with backplates in white or six other colors to match your decor. Kits run $24.95 for a set of four, and ordered at www.lectralock.com.

This symbol * indicates USA Today has tested a product for operating in full compliance with the manufacturer's specifications and to determine its performance as applicable to our readers' needs. Disadvantages, if any, also are reported. Although we cannot guarantee a product, we offer the starred designation as a guide to readers.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group