Children under eight should avoid slushies as glycerol leads to hospitalisations – study
Children under the age of eight should not consume slushies due to the ingredient glycerol potentially making them ill, new research has suggested.
Researchers at University College Dublin said the brightly coloured icy drinks can cause “glycerol intoxication syndrome” in youngsters, which leads to loss of consciousness and low blood sugar.
Other potential symptoms of “glycerol intoxication syndrome” can include lactic acidosis – which occurs when the body produces too much lactic acid – and hypokalaemia, or low potassium.
Glycerol is a naturally occurring alcohol and sugar substitute which helps slush drinks maintain their texture by preventing liquid from freezing solid.
While glycerol is found in some other foods, it is added at much lower quantities than in slush ice drinks.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) currently advises against children under four consuming slush ice drinks containing glycerol.
It also recommends children between five and 10 are limited to no more than one slushie a day.
But researchers have urged those under eight years of age to avoid them altogether.
“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 eight years of age, should avoid slush ice drinks containing glycerol,” the review, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, states.
Researchers added that “there are no nutritional or health benefits from these drinks” and “they are not recommended as part of a balanced diet”.
The study looked at the medical notes of 21 children aged between two and seven in the UK and Ireland who fell ill after consuming the drinks between 2009 and 2024.
All the youngsters needed treatment in accident and emergency (A&E) departments, with 14 of the children becoming unwell within an hour of drinking a slushie.
All 21 children recovered quickly and were discharged with advice not to drink slushies, according to the study.
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Only one child from the group did not follow the advice and once again developed symptoms an hour after drinking a slushie at the age of seven.
Researchers said there is currently “poor transparency” around slush ice drink glycerol concentration, so estimating a safe dose is not easy.
They said factors including speed of ingestion and whether the drink is consumed alongside a meal or during high-intensity exercise may be contributing factors.
