A Guide to Keeping Your Baby Safe and Sound

Which highchairs are prone to “submarining”--i.e. allowing a child to slip under the tray and fall? What brands of car seats have had problems with defective buckles that can release on impact and what brands are proving to be the best? What potential health hazards should parents know about before applying ordinary baby powder to their infant’s bottom?

Baby proofing the home requires never-ending vigilance that few new parents today have the time or energy to do thoroughly.

New products constantly pose new hazards; old myths and dangerous misinformation survive the best scientific findings and warnings on how to care for your baby.

Accidents--not diseases--are the leading cause of death and disability in children ages 1 to 4. Every year, for instance, about 9,000 highchair-related accidents send babies to hospital emergency rooms.

One book that has helped parents eliminate many hazards around the house over the past two decades is “Guide to Baby Products” (Consumer Reports Books). Now available in its updated fifth edition, the guide cautions parents about the threats and dangers of specific brand baby products, from toys to baby furniture to products such as formulas, diapers and pacifiers. It warns about products previously recalled but possibly still in use, gives money-saving tips and lists the addresses and phone numbers of major baby-product manufacturers.

Baby expert Sandy Jones, who wrote the guide with the quality- and safety-conscious folks at Consumers Union, also rates brand name baby products on their safety, convenience and durability.