Baby Shark bath toy recalled over laceration risk to children
No injuries reported in Canada yet, but 12 'impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds' in the U.S.
A Baby Shark bath toy is being recalled because it poses a laceration hazard to children, according to Health Canada.
The fin on the Zuru Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark is made of a hard plastic and "may cause laceration if a child falls on the toy," the recall notice advises.
The plastic battery-operated toy looks like a small shark and comes in three colours — yellow, blue and pink. When placed in water it swims and sings a song.
More than 133,000 units of the affected product — model number is 25282 — were sold in Canada between May 2019 and April 2023.
Zuru Canada Inc., which imports the China-manufactured bath toys, has received no reports of injuries in Canada, as of June 7.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and dispose of the product appropriately.- Health Canada
But in the U.S., the company is aware of 12 reports of children suffering "impalement injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds," after falling or sitting on the toy, according to a separate recall issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Nine of those injuries required stitches or medical attention, the notice said.
7.5 million bath toys recalled in the U.S.
About 6.5 million of the toys were recalled in the U.S., along with about one million Mini Baby Shark bath toys, which swim but do not sing.
No injuries involving the mini versions have been reported, according to the commission. The fins of the mini versions are also made of hard plastic, but measure about four inches from nose to tail, compared to the seven-inch full-size fins.
"Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and dispose of the product appropriately," Health Canada advised in the recall notice.
The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits recalled products from being redistributed, sold or given away in Canada, it added.
In the U.S., consumers are being advised to contact Zuru for 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.