Baby doll that acts ‘sick’ could send kids to hospital

When we purchase toys for our children, we expect that manufacturers have done their due diligence to ensure that the toys are safe. Unfortunately, there have been many popular toys that have not been suitable for children at all.

For example, this week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Wal-Mart is recalling certain interactive baby dolls because of a risk of burn injuries. 

Wal-Mart announced the recall of the My Sweet Love / My Sweet Baby electronic baby doll after receiving a dozen reports of incidents involving the circuit boards in the dolls malfunctioning.

When this happens, Wal-Mart reported that the chest of the doll can overheat and potentially burn children. Two incident reports made with Wal-Mart involved burns or blisters on the thumb.

The doll, which includes a toy medical check-up kit, features an electronic circuit board that allows the baby to display symptoms of sickness, such as a cough, red cheeks and babbling.

Unfortunately, the defect with this product could result in the child needing medical care instead of the doll.

Parents were warned in the recall to take away the My Sweet Love / My Sweet Baby electronic baby doll from their children immediately, remove the batteries and return it to a Wal-Mart store for a refund.

When children are seriously injured by toys that are supposed to be safe, parents may be able to recover damages from manufacturers in products liability lawsuits.

Damages awarded in these lawsuits can not only compensate victims for the injuries they sustained but also remind manufacturers that they must not take any risks when it comes to children and safety.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “Wal-Mart Recalls Dolls Due to Burn Hazard,” March 25, 2014