New baseball gear protects kids' hearts from line drives

The advertisements are honest by saying how very rare it is that a blow to the chest (say, by a line drive) could send a child into a potentially fatal heart rhythm called commotio cordis.

It's rare, but 200 cases have been reported to the U.S. Commotion Cordis Registry. Most victims have been boys between ages 10 and 18, and most died following a "seemingly inconsequential, nonpenetrating blow to the chest," says Medscape's eMedicine Web site. It also says more than half of victims were participating in organized sports, most commonly baseball, softball or hockey. "In most instances (58 percent), the person was struck by a projectile, which was most commonly a pitched, thrown, or batted baseball or softball estimated to be traveling 30 to 50 mph at most," the article says.

A protective solution: the Markwort Heart-Gard shirt, containing a high density polyethylene dome that covers the heart area. Its makers say "if your kid is an infielder, especially a pitcher with such a close proximity to swinging batters, a heart guard makes more than perfect sense."

It's something to consider. Dick's Sporting Goods sells the Heart-Gard shirt for $39.99. It also sells a Heart-Gard chest protector held in place with straps for $19.99.