Baby Shark toy recall: 7.5 million bath toys pose impalement risk to children

About 7.5 million Baby Shark bath toys are being recalled after the product-maker received a dozen reports of children being injured by the product's hard plastic top fin, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Zuru Toys is recalling two types of the bath toy − 6.5 million Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toy, which is the full-size version, and 1 million of the Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toy.

The Commission stated Zuru Toys is aware of the injuries reported, which include children falling or sitting on the full-size Baby Shark bath toy, resulting in impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds, including to children’s genital, anorectal and facial areas. Of the dozen reported incidents, nine required stitches or medical attention.

No injuries or incidents were reported involving the Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toy.

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According to SaferProducts.gov, where consumers can file and read public complaints about consumer products online, one parent reported in February 2022 that their 19-month old son was playing with the bath toy and slipped and fell on to the hard plastic fin, requiring medical attention because of trauma to his anus.

"My son is terrified of diaper changes and baths now due to his injury! This was very traumatic for him and it shouldn't happen to anyone else's children," the parent reported.

Another parent reported in October 2021 that their 4-year-old son was scratched on the face by the toy's fin after falling on it while getting out of the bathtub.

"I feel the fins are too pointy on this toy to be a children’s bath toy," the parent said.

In response, Zuru Toys commented on both reports that the toys were subject to "rigorous independent laboratory testing" to comply with applicable rules, regulations, and industry standards. They added that the toy undergoes pre-market testing and is subject to ongoing quality control once it is in the market.

"Zuru does not believe that the product presents a defect or quality issue," the company commented in both reports.

Full-size Baby Shark Sing & Swim recall details

• Sings and swims when placed in water

• Has a hard plastic top fin with three grooves on one side, measuring about 7 inches from nose to tail.

• Sold in three colors − yellow, pink and blue.

• Sold individually and in packs of three.

• Has tracking label information on the bottom, including raised lettering that states model number “#25282” and a date code beginning with the letters “DG” followed by “YYYY/MM/DD” in the date range DG20190501 through DG20220619.

• The toys were sold from May 2019 through March 2023 for between $13 and $15.

Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toy recall details

• Swims when placed in water, but does not sing.

• Has a hard plastic top fin, measuring about 4 inches from nose to tail.

• Sold in three colors − yellow, pink and blue

• Sold individually, in packs of two or three, and as part of a Baby Shark Music Water Park play set.

• The recalled mini-size bath toys have tracking label information on the bottom, including raised lettering that states model numbers “#7163,” "#7175,” “#7166,” or “#25291” and a date code beginning with the letters “DG” followed by “YYYY/MM/DD” in the date range DG2020615 through DG2023525.

• The toys were sold from July 2020 through June 2023 for between $6 and $20.

Where were the toys sold?

The toys were sold at the following stores nationwide:

• Walmart

• CVS Pharmacy

• Dollar General

• Family Dollar

• HEB Grocery

• Company

• Meijer

• Target

• TJX Companies

• Ross

• Walgreens

They were also sold online on Walmart, Target, Amazon and other websites.

How to get a refund

Zuru is issuing refunds of $14 for the full-size bath toy and $6 for the mini-size bath toy after consumers take the following actions:

• Disable the tail fin by cutting it off the full-size bath toy or by bending it on the mini-size bath toy.

• Mark the body of the shark bath toy with the word “recalled.”

• Have the unique code ready for registration for the recall.

• Upload a photo of the product, showing it is disabled and marked at https://www.recallrtr.com/bathshark.

Upon receiving photos, Zuru will refund the money in the form of a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baby Shark bath toy recall: Children risk impalement, lacerations