Experts have issued a warning that youngsters should steer clear of 'slushy' ice drinks containing a specific ingredient until they reach the age of eight.
The caution comes after research revealed that slushies containing the sweetener glycerol can cause illness in children. The study examined 21 cases of kids aged two to seven in the UK and Ireland who fell ill after consuming slushies.
The findings showed that nearly all the children (93 per cent) became unwell within an hour of having the drink, and none of them had any pre-existing medical conditions that could explain their symptoms. The researchers concluded that a large dose of glycerol can lead to 'poisoning'-like symptoms in young children, known as glycerol intoxication syndrome.
Glycerol is used in UK slush drinks to give them their 'slushy' texture by preventing the liquid from freezing solid, even with low sugar content.
Current guidance from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises against under-fives consuming these drinks and recommends that under-11s have no more than one. However, the researchers now argue that children under eight should avoid slush drinks altogether, reports [the Manchester Evening News](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/children-under-certain-age-shouldnt-31183103).
"Clinicians and parents should be alert to the phenomenon, and public health bodies should ensure clear messaging regarding the fact that younger children, especially those under 8 years of age, should avoid slush ice drinks containing glycerol," the authors warned in the study.
They also stated that "there are no nutritional or health benefits from these drinks" and "they are not recommended as part of a balanced diet".
Slush ice drinks contain the sweetener glycerol (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
What is glycerol intoxication syndrome?
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Researchers at University College Dublin discovered that the icy beverages "may cause a clinical syndrome of glycerol intoxication in young children". Although glycerol is considered to be of low toxicity by the FSA, it can still cause harm to young children when consumed in large quantities over a short period of time.
Symptoms of glycerol intoxication syndrome include:
* Impaired consciousness.
* Low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia.
* Lactic acidosis, which occurs when the body produces excessive amounts of lactic acid.
* Low potassium, or hypokalaemia.
The children in the study required emergency treatment after becoming unwell. Most were initially diagnosed with low blood sugar and had lost consciousness.
Four of the children underwent brain scans, and one patient experienced a seizure.
Fortunately, all 21 children made a swift recovery and were discharged with advice to avoid consuming slushies. However, one child in the study had another slushie at the age of seven and developed symptoms again within an hour of consuming the drink.
The study's findings were published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.