21 Children Hospitalized After Slushie Consumption Health Experts Advise Age Restrictions

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Doctors warn that children under eight should avoid consuming slushy ice drinks containing glycerol after multiple hospitalizations were reported.

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Glycerol, a natural sweetener that prevents slushies from freezing solid, can cause "glycerol intoxication syndrome" in young children.

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Researchers at University College Dublin studied 21 children aged two to seven who needed emergency treatment after drinking slushies.

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Symptoms appeared within an hour and included decreased consciousness, low blood sugar, high blood acidity, and low potassium levels.

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Current Food Standards Agency advice recommends against slushies for children under four and limits consumption to one per day for those aged five to ten.

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Study authors suggest raising the age recommendation to eight years, as estimating safe consumption based on a child's weight is difficult for parents.

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All affected children recovered quickly after hospital treatment and most avoided further episodes by not drinking slushies again.

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One seven-year-old who consumed another slushie after recovery developed symptoms again within an hour.

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Lead researcher Professor Ellen Crushell warned that the documented cases might be "the tip of the iceberg" with milder cases potentially going unreported.

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The FSA is "considering the findings carefully" while continuing to recommend that slushies not be given to children under four years old.

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