# Frozen slush drink could make kids sick, study suggests

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

Glycerol, a sweetener in slush drinks, led to acute symptoms within an hour

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Published March 13, 2025 5:51pm EDT

A popular summertime treat could contain hidden dangers to , a new study cautions.

Researchers at University College Dublin conducted a review of 21 children who became ill between 2009 and 2024 after consuming a "slush ice drink."

A vast majority of the children, none of whom had preexisting , became ill within an hour of having the drink.



The patients, who ranged in age from 2 to 6 years old, all received  in the U.K. and Ireland.

The most prevalent symptoms included acute decrease in consciousness, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), metabolic acidosis (lactic acid build up in the bloodstream), pseudohypertriglyceridaemia (falsely elevated triglycerides) and hypokalaemia (low potassium levels), according to the findings, which were published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.



A popular summertime treat could contain hidden dangers to kids’ health, a new study cautions. (iStock)

"The children had very low blood sugar levels, were unconscious (one had a seizure) and had high levels of lactate in their blood," lead study author Ellen Crushell, a pediatrician at Children's Health Ireland and a clinical professor at University College Dublin, told Fox News Digital.



"They had high levels of glycerol in their blood and urine when sick, which disappeared when they recovered. They recovered well, but needed hospitalization and intravenous fluids."

The researchers concluded that consumption of  containing glycerol may cause a syndrome called glycerol intoxication.

The majority of the children (95%) did not have continued symptoms after avoiding the drinks.

## What is glycerol?

"Glycerol is used as a sweetener and to maintain the semi-frozen texture of some (not all) slush ice drinks," Crushell said.

"It is being used more often in recent years as a sugar substitute," she noted. "Large doses can be harmful to small children."



The researchers concluded that the consumption of slush ice drinks containing glycerol may cause a syndrome called glycerol intoxication. (iStock)

The effect of sudden illness after consuming a slush drink had never been reported in the , Crushell noted.

"This study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

"The numbers are small and include only the sickest children who were brought to emergency departments and who were referred on to specialists in inherited metabolic disorders," Crushell said.

They were referred because their symptoms were similar to those of some rare metabolic diseases. We do not know the extent of children who may develop milder symptoms.

The other limitation is that the amount of glycerol ingested in the various slush drinks is unknown, she added.

## Recommendations for parents

Crushell said slush ice drinks "do not convey  at any age" and are not recommended as part of a healthy, balanced diet.



Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
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