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24th January 2025
03:50pm GMT
Despite their bright colours and sweet taste, slushies could prove rather dangerous for small children.
Two separate incidents saw two families faced with the terrifying aftermath of giving their children the icy drink.
After the ordeal, they have each issued a warning to warn others to avoid giving slushies to small kids.
As per the Daily Mail, Beth Greene's three-year-old son, Albie, enjoyed a slushie while bowling with friends in October.
Within a half hour of consumption, Albie began acting 'tired and agitated' before he started hallucinating and clawing at his face.
Beth then immediately rushed her son to the hospital, terrified about the drastic change in his behaviour.
At the hospital, the toddler needed to be resuscitated after his blood sugar levels plummeted to dangerously low levels and his heartbeat was 'extremely slow'.
Months later, Beth and her husband, Fred, were informed that Albie had suffered a 'glycerol intolerance' after consuming the slushy.
Now that her son is, fortunately, healthy and happy, she is warning other parents of the unsuspecting dangers of the drink.
"As a parent, this is something that every child has which is marketed towards children at theme parks, bowling, cinemas - that drink is always there.
"They need to raise the limit on the guidelines. I don't think they should be sold to under-10s.
"We nearly lost our son's life. We've never experienced anything like this before, he's always been a fit and healthy child."
Albie is the second public instance where a small child has ended up in hospital after slushy consumption.
Scottish mum, Victoria Anderson, previously shared her harrowing experience after her three-year-old son Angus almost died in January after drinking a slushy.
After the iced drink, Little Angus became 'intoxicated', fell unconscious in her arms, and had to be rushed to hospital.
In August 2023, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) issued new voluntary industry guidance on glycerol in slush-ice drinks, advising that they should not be sold to children four years of age and under.
At very high levels of exposure, glycerol intoxication can cause shock, hypoglycaemia and loss of consciousness, according to the government body.
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