BRANDON, Fla. - A Tampa Bay area NICU nurse has uncovered a dangerous counterfeit product putting newborns at risk: Infant car seats designed for dolls, sold to unsuspecting families as the real thing.
What we know:
Brandi Rutland, a NICU nurse at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, spotted the latest fake during a routine 90-minute "car seat test," a safety protocol before discharging premature babies. The test checks a newborn’s heart rate and oxygen levels while seated in the car seat they’ll ride home in.
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Before the test even began, Rutland noticed the seat was missing critical safety components, including a chest clip. Further inspection revealed other flaws, like a metal belt connector that didn’t match U.S. standards.
When she researched the model, it was listed online as a doll accessory, not an infant restraint. Families said the seats came from online marketplaces or were given as gifts; some shipped from China.
Why you should care:
Without the proper restraints, a car seat meant for dolls cannot protect an infant in a crash. Experts said these products are slipping through, because there’s no U.S. law preventing the import of non-compliant car seats from other countries.
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Safety standards only apply to U.S. manufacturers, not individual consumers.
What to look for:
Managing Attorney Kristen Roberts with Trestle Law says authentic U.S. compliant seats should have:
- A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) certification label.
- A clear date of manufacture label.
- Complete safety instructions with no spelling errors.
Other red flags include prices that seem too good to be true, missing parts like chest clips, and metal connectors that don’t match U.S. standards.
The Source: Information comes from interviews with NICU nurse Brandi Rutland at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and intellectual property attorney Kristen Roberts of Trestle Law, as reported by FOX 13 News.