Doctor reveals the one drink he'd never give to children after five hospitalised

A doctor has warned against the one drink he would never give to children after a number of youngsters have ended up hospitalised.

The beverages in question are common in places where kids would be enjoying themselves, such as bowling alleys, arcades, and soft play centres.

However, parents have been advised to think twice before purchasing slushie drinks for children, as the iced treat could have some worrying effects.

Last year, one mother called for a ban on selling slushies to kids after her toddler 'collapsed and began fitting' shortly after after gulping the 'toxic' iced drink.

Meanwhile, a second parent claimed her four-year-old son 'needed resuscitating' after he drank one of the colourful refreshments.

Parents have been advised to think twice (Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images)

Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, has raised concerns about slushies.

When quizzed on the one thing he would never let his children drink or eat, the doctor reportedly told The Guardian: "Slush drinks. Since the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy, many of these have been made sugar-free."

He added: "However, the amount of glycerol now used in them has been linked to the collapse and hospital admission of at least five children aged under four."

And Dr Mellor is not the only one to issue this advice, with the Food Standards Agency also supporting his claim.

The food agency advises: "Slush ice drinks can contain the ingredient glycerol as a substitute for sugar, at a level required to create the 'slush' effect. At this level, we recommend that children aged four years and under should not consume these drinks."

It also instructs manufacturers to tell retailers they should not offer refill promotions to children under the age of 10 to prevent exposure to the ingredient.

In the advice issued in 2023, FSA Head of Additives, Adam Hardgrave, added: "While the symptoms of glycerol intoxication are usually mild, it is important that parents are aware of the risks – particularly at high levels of consumption.

"It is likely that there is under-reporting of glycerol intoxication, as parents may attribute nausea and headaches to other factors.

"We are grateful to those manufacturers who have already taken steps to reduce levels of glycerol, and to those who have already told us they will be adopting our new guidelines.

One mum who is warning against the drinks is Victoria Anderson, who was out shopping on 4 January last year with two of her five children when her nightmare unfolded.

Stock image (Sally Anscombe/Getty Images)

Her youngest son, three-year-old Angus, had requested a raspberry-flavoured drink from the local corner shop.

Victoria complied, only for something horrific to unfold.

Approximately 30 minutes later, Angus unexpectedly fell unconscious in another store, leaving Victoria fearing for his life.

The mum-of-five, who lives in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, said little Angus' body went 'limp and stone cold' as paramedics began working on the toddler.

After rushing to hospital, staff told Victoria that the slushie had caused glycerol toxicity - which left Angus in a 'drunk-like' state.

Victoria explained: "He was unconscious for about two hours. It was the scariest thing I'd ever experienced. He was well that day - there was nothing obviously wrong with him. There's nothing like this in the family.

"I was scared he would die, considering the way he went down and how limp he was and how unresponsive he was. They gave him a jab in the leg and he wasn't even flinching.

"When he woke up, he was still going in and out of consciousness. I think he was exhausted too.

"They'd asked what he'd eaten and drank that day and I told them about the slushie. The doctors said the slushie had caused glycerol toxicity. His blood sugars went very low.

"It's not something I'd ever heard of before. There was definitely a link to the slushie."