In a significant development from the epicenter of the American toy industry, a massive recall has been issued for millions of “Baby Shark” bath toys. These toys, which were inspired by the viral children’s song, have been withdrawn from the market following a series of unfortunate incidents that resulted in injuries to children.
A Torrent of Injuries Triggers Massive Recall
The manufacturer behind these popular toys, Zuru, has decided to recall approximately 7.5 million products. This decision was prompted by 12 reported incidents where children suffered injuries, including impalement, lacerations, and puncture wounds, after falling on or sitting on the toy. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a notice regarding this matter, revealing that nine of these incidents necessitated medical attention or stitches.
The culprits behind these injuries are the full-sized, 7-inch plastic shark toys that are designed to sing and swim when immersed in water. Of the total recalled products, around 6.5 million are Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toys.
How to Identify the Recalled Toys
Customers are being advised to cross-verify the model number located on the toy’s underbelly with the recalled model numbers provided on the CPSC’s website. If the numbers match, parents are strongly urged to prevent their children from playing with the toy.
In addition to the larger toys, another 1 million 4-inch Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys are also being recalled due to similar fears of impalement injuries. These toys, which only swim when placed in water, have a hard plastic top fin with three grooves on one side, as described by the CPSC.
These toys were available at major retailers such as Walmart, CVS, Target, Walgreens, and Dollar General. The larger toys were sold from May 2019 through March 2024, while the mini version was available in packs of one to three from July 2020 to June 2024.
Customers who have already purchased these toys are being asked to contact Zuru with a photo of the toy marked with the word “recalled” and showing the unique model number. In return, they will receive a full refund of $14 for each full-size bath toy or $6 for each mini-size bath toy, in the form of a prepaid virtual Mastercard.
For those who wish to continue using the toy, it is recommended that they “disable the tail fin” by either bending it down or cutting it off. Zuru has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The recalled toys are based on the children’s “Baby Shark” song and dance that became YouTube’s No. 1 most-watched video after its release in 2017.
