Children under 8 should avoid slushies, say medics

New research prompts call for age limit on frozen drinks

NEW research from the British Medical Association (BMA) has called for a new age restriction on slushie drinks that contain glycerol after highlighting the dangers that the drinks pose to young children.

As part of new findings published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, the BMA has said a new age limit of eight years old should be enforced for slushie drinks due to concerns over glycerol intoxication in young children caused by the drinks.

Glycerol intoxication is caused by overconsumption of the frozen drinks by young children and can cause acute decreased consciousness and hypoglycaemia – low blood sugar levels which can be dangerous if left untreated.

The new research tested 21 children of varying ages – between two years to six years and nine months – and, of the group, a staggering 93% became unwell. Further to this, glyceroluria – a presence of excessive glycerol levels in urine – was found in all cases which can be a sign of dehydration.

There have also been widely reported cases where some children were hospitalised due to drinking slushie drinks, with children as young as two years old being admitted after falling unconscious.

The BMA report stated: “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.”

Current advice from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is that children over the age of four are “considered unlikely” to suffer ill effects from drinking one slushie drink, due to the effects of glycerol on the body being directly tied to body weight.

Official advice from FSS says: “To prevent young children being exposed to excessive amounts of glycerol, slush ice drinks should not be sold to children four years of age and under and free refill promotions should not be offered to under-10s.”