Children under the age of eight should avoid consuming slush ice drinks containing the sweetening agent glycerol, experts have warned.
Researchers issued the alert after reviewing the medical notes of 21 kids who became acutely unwell shortly after drinking one.
In each case they developed a cluster of symptoms doctors have named ‘glycerol intoxication syndrome’.
It includes decreased consciousness, a sudden sharp drop in blood sugar and a build-up of acid in the blood.
Glycerol is a naturally occurring alcohol and sugar substitute which helps slush drinks maintain their texture by preventing liquid from freezing solid.
Slush drinks – also known as slushies – containing the ingredient are not recommended for children under the age of four.
However, medics writing in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood have called for the public health advice to be revisited.
Most of the cases examined took place between 2018 and 2024, with children’s aged between two and almost seven.
