4-Year-Old in Critical Condition After Consuming Toxic Slushy

In a story that serves as a warning to parents, a mother from Lancashire, England, has shared her experience after her daughter ended up in the hospital due to drinking a slush ice beverage containing glycerol. Kim Moore, who is 35 years old, is now encouraging other parents to think twice before letting their young children enjoy these popular frozen drinks.

Moore took her two daughters, Marnie, who is 4, and Orla, who is 6, to a children’s party in 2020, where she purchased refillable slushies for them. However, just ten minutes after Marnie started drinking hers, things took a worrying turn. “We ended up buying two one-liter refillable cups… but Marnie didn’t drink the full cup, probably only half,” Moore recalled.

Soon after, she noticed her daughter becoming “really agitated” and then falling asleep. “I just thought she was over-tired,” she explained in an interview with Kennedy News and Media, which was published in the Daily Mail.

Five minutes later, when Moore tried to wake Marnie up, she realized something was seriously wrong. “She wasn’t waking up and was actually unconscious,” Moore said. Feeling panicked, Moore knew she had to act fast. “I think it was mum’s instinct that I knew something wasn’t right,” she stressed. “She was floppy and completely unconscious.”

When they arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered that Marnie’s blood sugar levels were dangerously low. The little girl was then transferred to another hospital, where she stayed for three days. “I had no clue what had caused it. She was unconscious for around 25 minutes while they brought her blood sugars up,” Moore shared.

The doctors determined that Marnie was suffering from glycerol toxicity, which was directly caused by the slush ice drink. Glycerol is a sweetener often used to give slushies their smooth texture, but it can cause serious side effects. According to Moore, symptoms of glycerol toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, confusion, and loss of consciousness. “Looking back, she had every single symptom of glycerol toxicity,” Moore admitted. “I was in absolute fear. If I hadn’t taken her to hospital, it may have had a different outcome.”

Thankfully, Marnie fully recovered after her hospital stay. However, Moore is now strongly opposed to the sale of slush ice drinks to young children. “So many places promote free slushies…but you’re promoting poison,” she said. “I don’t think these slushies should be allowed at all. I personally wouldn’t allow my child to drink one at all. It’s not a risk I’m willing to take.” She added, “I don’t think they should be sold to kids 12 and under in all honesty. I wouldn’t wish what we went through on our worst enemy. It was awful.”

This concerning incident follows a study published on March 11 in the Archives of Disease in Children, which reported that at least 21 children between the ages of 2 and 6 in the U.K. and Ireland have been hospitalized after consuming slush ice drinks containing glycerol over the past 15 years. The study found that 93% of these children became ill within 60 minutes of drinking the slushies. The researchers recommend that children under 8 avoid these drinks entirely.

The Food Standards Agency supports this warning, advising that children aged 4 and under should “not consume” slush ice drinks containing glycerol due to potential side effects like headaches and nausea, especially if consumed in large amounts.

Sources: Archives of Disease in Children, People, Daily Mail