7.5 million Baby Shark bath toys recalled after reports of impalement, lacerations
More than 7 million Baby Shark-themed toys have been recalled by their manufacturer because the hard plastic used to make the toy's top fins created a risk of impalement, laceration and puncture injuries.
The toys in question are sold as Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim bath toys, according to a news release shared by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Six and a half million regular-sized toys have been recalled, as have another million of the mini version of the toys. Each toy has a hard plastic top fin with three grooves on one side.
There have been 12 reports of children falling or sitting on the regular-sized toys, the company said. These situations have resulted in impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds to children's genital, anorectal and facial areas. Nine of the injuries required stitches or medical attention, according to the company. There were no reported injuries related to the mini versions of the toys.
The recall only affects toys with hard plastic fins. To check if a toy is subject to recall, see if the fin is made of hard plastic with three grooves. The bottom of the toy can also be checked: Affected full-size toys have a model number "#25282" and a date code beginning with the letters "DG" followed by "YYYY/MM/DD" in the date range DG20190501, or Jan. 5, 2019, through DG20220619, June 19, 2022.
For the mini toys, the recalled model numbers include "#7163," "#7175," "#7166," or "#25291" and a date code beginning with the letters "DG" followed by "YYYY/MM/DD" in the date range DG2020615, corresponding to June 15, 2020, through DG2023525, or May 25, 2023.
The toys were sold at a number of popular retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Dollar General, Target and more. The toys were also sold online, including on Amazon.
People who have the recalled toys can contact the manufacturer for a refund. The retailer said that to get a refund — $14 for a regular version and $6 for the mini, in the form of a prepaid virtual credit card — consumers must cut or bend the fin, write "recalled" and other recall information on the body of the shark, and send this photo to the company.
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Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.