Baby
Pictured: Representative image of the feet of an infant taking a bath. Pixabay

KEY POINTS

  • Kids may get injured if they slip and fall on the hard plastic fin of the bath toys
  • Some of the reported injuries required medical attention or stitches
  • Affected customers should participate in the recall even if the toy "seems just fine"

Some 7.5 million "Baby Shark" bath toys are being recalled because they may pose laceration or impalement risks to children. There have been a dozen reports of incidents related to the toys.

Zuru is voluntarily recalling the Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toys (the full-size version of the toy) and the Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys (the mini version), as per the announcement on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website.

The problem is that if children are using the toys in a setting like a bathtub or wading pool and they slip, they may end up falling or sitting on the "hard plastic top fin" of the shark toy. This then poses the risk of "impalement, lacerations and punctures."

So far, there are 12 reports of incidents wherein children fell or sat on the bath toy. These caused "impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds, including to children's genital, anorectal and facial areas." Of these incidents, nine necessitated medical attention or even stitches. These incidents, however, all involved the full-size version. There have been no reports linked to the mini version.

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Those who are in possession of the recalled Baby Shark toys are being advised to stop using them and take them away from children. They may then register for the recall to receive a refund.

As mentioned, the issuance affects both the full and mini sizes of the recalled bath toys. The full-size Baby Shark toys can sing and swim when they're placed in the water. They come in colors yellow, pink and blue and were sold either individually or in packs of three. The model number "#25282" can be located at the bottom of the toy, together with the date code that begins with "DG." The date code range falls within DG20190501 through DG20220619, the CPSC noted.

It's worth noting that when it comes to the full-size units, only the ones with the hard plastic fins are included in the recall. Another version with the silicone tip isn't affected.

"Please note that since March 2023, Zuru has sold a version of the full-size Baby Shark with a silicone top fin," the company explained. "If the top fin of your shark is softer to the touch than the body of the shark and there is a visible line separating the silicone and plastic portions of your top fin, then your top fin is silicone and is not being recalled."

The company provided photos on how to determine whether the full-size unit in your possession has a hard plastic or silicone fin. A key distinguishing feature of the recalled units is that they have three grooves on one side.

On the other hand, the recalled Mini Baby Shark Toys also come in pink, yellow or blue. They can also swim in the water, but they don't sing, and they would have been sold either individually, in packs of two or three or as a part of the Baby Shark Music Water Park set. The model numbers "#7163," "#7175," "#7166" or "#25291" may be located on the recalled units, again with the date code starting with "DG." The date affected date range falls within DG2020615 through DG2023525.

The bath toys were sold at various major retailers including Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, Family Dollar Service, Target and TJX Companies. They were also sold online.

In total, some 7.5 million units are included in the recall, about a million of which are the Mini Baby Shark bath toys. The recall is also being issued in Canada, where 133,630 units were sold until April 2023. There have been no incidents reported in the country in connection with the toys.

Customers who find that they are in possession of a recalled unit may register at the company's recall page. It has provided instructions on what customers need to do.

The company is urging customers to participate in the recall even if the recalled unit they have "seems just fine." Anyone who may have given the bath toys as a gift or resold them is also being urged to notify the recipient regarding the recall.

Those who have questions about the recall may contact Zuru at 1-833-820-0839.