Popular frozen drink linked to children’s illness, study finds

A fashionable summertime dainty could incorporate hidden dangers to kids’ health, a caller survey cautions.

Researchers astatine University College Dublin conducted a reappraisal of 21 children who became sick betwixt 2009 and 2024 aft consuming a "slush crystal drink."

A immense bulk of the children, nary of whom had preexisting aesculapian conditions, became sick wrong an hr of having the drink.

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The patients, who ranged successful property from 2 to 6 years old, each received aesculapian attraction successful the U.K. and Ireland.

A fashionable summertime dainty could incorporate hidden dangers to kids’ health, a caller survey cautions. (iStock)

The astir prevalent symptoms included acute alteration successful consciousness, hypoglycaemia (low humor sugar), metabolic acidosis (lactic acerb physique up successful the bloodstream), pseudohypertriglyceridaemia (falsely elevated triglycerides) and hypokalaemia (low potassium levels), according to the findings, which were published successful BMJ Journals.

"The children had precise debased humor sweetener levels, were unconscious (one had a seizure) and had precocious levels of lactate successful their blood," pb survey writer Ellen Crushell, a pediatrician astatine Children's Health Ireland and a objective prof astatine University College Dublin, told Fox News Digital. 

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"They had precocious levels of glycerol successful their humor and urine erstwhile sick, which disappeared erstwhile they recovered. They recovered well, but needed hospitalization and intravenous fluids."

The researchers concluded that depletion of slush crystal drinks containing glycerol whitethorn origin a syndrome called glycerol intoxication.

The bulk of the children (95%) did not person continued symptoms aft avoiding the drinks.

What is glycerol?

"Glycerol is utilized arsenic a sweetener and to support the semi-frozen texture of immoderate (not all) slush crystal drinks," Crushell said.

"It is being utilized much often successful caller years arsenic a sweetener substitute," she noted. "Large doses tin beryllium harmful to tiny children."

The researchers concluded that depletion of slush crystal drinks containing glycerol whitethorn origin a syndrome called glycerol intoxication. (iStock)

The effect of abrupt unwellness aft consuming a slush portion had ne'er been reported successful aesculapian literature, Crushell noted.

This survey did person immoderate limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

"The numbers are tiny and see lone the sickest children who were brought to exigency departments and who were referred connected to specialists successful inherited metabolic disorders," Crushell said.

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"They were referred due to the fact that their symptoms were akin to those of immoderate uncommon metabolic diseases. We bash not cognize the grade of children who whitethorn make milder symptoms."

The different regulation is that the magnitude of glycerol ingested successful the assorted slush drinks is unknown, she added.

Recommendations for parents

Crushell noted that slush crystal drinks "do not convey wellness benefits astatine immoderate age" and are not recommended arsenic portion of a healthy, balanced diet. 

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The UK Food Standards Agency and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) person some issued guidance recommending that children 4 and nether debar consuming slush crystal drinks containing glycerol, and for children 5 and up to lone portion them successful moderation.

The researcher noted that slush crystal drinks "do not convey wellness benefits astatine immoderate age" and are not recommended arsenic portion of a healthy, balanced diet.  (iStock)

"The usage of slush crystal machines by children successful the location should beryllium monitored," Crushell advised. "Parents and guardians should cheque the ingredients of syrups utilized to marque slush ices successful the location for the beingness of glycerol and travel the manufacturer's instructions for use."

The researchers anticipation this caller survey could pb to the improvement of caller policies and guidance successful related to glycerol ingestion.   

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and to a starring shaper of slush drinks requesting comment.