Brandon Hospital NICU nurses sound alarm on counterfeit car seats endangering infants

Brandon, FL — Nurses in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital have identified a dangerous and growing trend — counterfeit infant car seats sold to unsuspecting parents through online marketplaces.

These counterfeit products do not meet U.S. safety requirements and lack essential safety features such as federally approved restraints, including the chest clip or chest plate that secures an infant’s harness straps in the proper position.

The issue was discovered during the NICU’s mandatory car seat test, a final step before babies are discharged home. This test ensures babies can maintain healthy breathing and heart rates while secured in a car seat. In just one month, NICU nurses flagged two counterfeit seats brought in by new parents — both purchased online from what they believed were trusted retailers.

“Parents think they are buying a safe, approved car seat when, in reality, they’re purchasing an unregulated, counterfeit product that could cost their baby’s life,” said Dr. Kiran Dwarakanath, neonatologist and NICU medical director at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. “Scammers are taking advantage of new parents during a vulnerable and emotional time — and the result is putting our most precious patients at risk.”

While NICU graduates undergo mandatory car seat testing before discharge, most newborns who do not require a NICU stay are not required car seat safety screening. This means that families could unknowingly be taking their newborns home in unsafe car seats.

“Our nurses caught these because NICU babies have to pass the car seat test,” Dwarakanath added. “But the scary truth is, babies going home without a NICU stay don’t have to undergo these tests by law. That’s why it’s so critical we raise awareness now — so parents can check their seats and protect their children before tragedy strikes. We want to get the word out to the community to protect our babies.”

Parents are urged to:

• Purchase only from authorized retailers and directly from manufacturers’ websites.
• Check for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) certification labels on the car seat.
• Avoid deals that seem “too good to be true” or are heavily discounted on unfamiliar online marketplaces.

For more information about safe car seat purchasing and installation, visit NHTSA’s Car Seat Safety Page. New parents with questions are encouraged to talk to their nurse.