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Wal-Mart Recalls 'Cuddle Care' Dolls Because They Can Burn

She coughs and sometimes burns.
CPSC
She coughs and sometimes burns.

You had better not cuddle up with the My Sweet Love/My Sweet Baby Cuddle Care Baby Doll from Wal-Mart.

First of all, she gets sick on cue. The battery-powered doll coughs and babbles. Her cheeks flush, too.

You can make her better with a medical kit that includes a syringe, stethoscope and thermometer. After you give her a shot and a spoonful of medicine, she's as good as new.

But it turns out that she could give you symptoms of your own.

The circuit board that makes the doll seem to come alive can also overheat, creating a burn hazard, the Consumer Products Safety Commission says.

Twelve incidents, including two involving burns or blisters to the thumb, have been reported to Wal-Mart, the commission said.

Wal-Mart is recalling the dolls. If your family has one, pull out the batteries and take it to a Wal-Mart store for a refund, the company says.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Hensley edits stories about health, biomedical research and pharmaceuticals for NPR's Science desk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has led the desk's reporting on the development of vaccines against the coronavirus.