A two-year-old girl was left ’20 minutes from death’ after consuming a slushy drink at her friend’s birthday party, according to her grandmother.
Arla Agnew became ‘grey’ and fell unconscious only half an hour after sipping half of the drink at the event on Saturday.
Her grandmother, Stacey Agnew said she knew something awry with the toddler, and was left terrified when she suddenly appeared lifeless.
After rushing the tot to Gollaway Community Hospital, medics determined the child had gone into hypoglycemic shock – and the ice drink may have been to blame.
Some slushies contain Glycerol – which in high quantities can make children go into a hypoglycemic shock – to prevent it freezing solid.
Brand leader Slush Puppie already makes it clear on its website that none of its sugar-free products contain glycerol, but many other brands do contain the e number.
Arla Agnew (pictured) was left ’20 minutes from death’ after consuming a slushy drink at her friend’s birthday party, according to her grandmother
Her grandmother, Stacey Agnew said she knew something awry with the toddler, and was left terrified when she suddenly appeared lifeless
The Food Standards Agency has stated that manufacturers should carry a warning on their products since August 2023.
However Stacey claims Arla’s friend’s mother only bought the product from B&M in July this year.
Images of the drink Arla allegedly consumed show that the labelling does not appear to carry a warning.
Now, the grandmother is warning other parents to be aware of products containing the ingredient so they can keep their little ones safe.
‘I’m urging parents, family members and carers of wee ones to check everything they are going to give to kids for the levels of glycerol in them,’ Stacey said.
‘I have a big family and none of us knew the risks. When it’s warm, you don’t think that giving them a treat to cool them down means you might never see them again.’
She added: ‘We could have lost our precious girl. I don’t want other families going through this.’
Last Saturday, the 39-year-old grandmother hurried Arla to hospital after she became unwell.
The two-year-old was hooked up to an IV tube at the hospital to help stabilise her, before being rushed to Dumfries and Galloway Hospital for further treatment.
Reliving the traumatic experience, Stacey explained she knew something was awry as Arla didn’t seem usual bubbly self at the park.
‘After she drank the slushy she started crying. She said she was tired so we took her home,’ she added.
‘We decided to take her to the local hospital but she became unresponsive in the car.
‘It had only been half an hour since she had the drink, but we had no idea what was wrong.
‘When we got to A&E they hooked her up to machines they checked her blood sugar. She was completely lifeless. I didn’t think she was going to make it,’ she added.
‘Before Arla was discharged, the doctor told us if we had been just 20 minutes later, things would have been very different. She could have died.
‘It was one of the scariest days of my life. You would never think that you could nearly lose your granddaughter just because she drank a slushy.’
Doctors informed Arla’s mother Carys that her daughter’s blood sugar levels had dramatically dropped – likely due to the drink – which should carry a warning for children under four.
Arla was later discharged from hospital when medics returned her blood sugars to normal levels and has not returned to her ‘hyper’ self.
Carys told the BBC: ‘She’s hyper 24-7 – she runs about from the minute she gets up until the minute she gets to her bed.
‘I’ve definitely got my hands full – and I’m glad about that.’
An expert in nutrition and food science, previously said Glycerol was being used to dodge sugar tax as it replaces the sugar in icy drinks.
Slushies contain Glycerol – which in high quantities can make children go into a hypoglycemic shock – to prevent it freezing solid
Professor Kuhnle took to X (formerly Twitter) to issue a to previously issued FSA advice in February.
‘An unintended consequence of the sugar tax was the replacement of sugar with glycerol as sweetener,’ he wrote.
‘That’s not a big problem for adults – but clearly for children, the main consumers for some drinks.’
He told MailOnline that it would be difficult to estimate the potential harm factor on young children ‘as companies will probably start to reformulate their products’.
He warned: ‘Unfortunately, it might take some time for this to be implemented, so it is probably sensible to be careful with slush.’
A spokesperson for Food Standards Scotland said: ‘FSS is aware of a recent case of illness associated with consumption of a slush ice drink.
‘Slush ice drinks, or ‘slushies’, can contain the ingredient glycerol as a substitute for sugar at a level required to create the ‘slush’ effect.
‘Although glycerol is generally of low toxicity, there are concerns about its effect on young children when large quantities are consumed over a short time.
‘This is due to the potential for side effects such as headaches and sickness, particularly when consumed in excess.
Products with Glycerol should contain a warning against consumption for children under four. Arla’s grandmother claims there was no warning on the product the toddler drank (pictured: Arla and her mother Carys)
‘At very high levels of exposure, such as when several of these products are consumed by a child in a short space of time, glycerol can cause glycerol intoxication which can cause shock, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and loss of consciousness.
‘FSS recommend that children four years of age and under should not consume these drinks’.
A B&M spokesperson said: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
‘We have inspected the current stock and confirmed that the packaging adheres to the Food Standards Agency’s recommended guidance.’
