Toddler Nearly Dies After Drinking Slush Puppie — Why Toddlers Shouldn't Have Slush Ice Drinks

A Scottish family is grateful for quick thinking doctors, after a sweet treat at a party nearly ended in tragedy for one 2-year-old. The scary moments happened during the last Saturday in July, when the little girl had to be rushed to the emergency room after downing a frozen slushie, something that left her just minutes from death.

Now, the family is sounding the alarm about the ingredient that left their little girl fighting for her life, and asking why the makers of Slush Puppie drinks don't put a warning on their products if they contain such dangerous ingredients.

Arla Agnew's mother told The BBC about the terrifying moments when her daughter "turned gray" after drinking half a Slush Puppie at a friend's house on Saturday. She says the little girl, who is normally full of typical toddler energy, almost instantly started acting lethargic, and asked her parents to carry her back to their home. Sensing that something was terribly wrong after her daughter after she seemed to faint multiple times, Agnew's mother Carys rushed her to the emergency room.

Once there, Agnew's mom realized that the situation was dire when her daughter stopped responding as they began poking and prodding her with needles to run some tests. "They pricked her heel and took blood from her arms, and she did nothing, didn't flinch — that’s when I knew something wasn’t right with her," she recalled. Once they got the first round of tests results back, they were surprised to learn that her blood sugar had dropped dangerously low.

The medical staff were trying to treat her for the low sugar levels — also known as hypoglycemia — as they worked to figure out exactly what had caused the issue in the first place. It was then that one quick thinking doctor put two and two together, collaborating with Scotland's version of Poison Control to determine that the little girl may have ingested toxic levels of glycerol, a common ingredient in the Slush Puppies.

Glycerol is used to help keep frozen beverages remain in that slushy state that keeps them from becoming too solid or too liquified. Food Standards Scotland, a government agency, recognized the danger this ingredient could pose to children in 2023, especially those who consumed a lot of glycerol. The agency issued a statement saying that nobody under the age of 4 should be given a slush beverage.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending, and the toddler seems to have made a full recovery since the incident.

It doesn't sound like the Agnews had been aware of the guidance on slush drinks for children under 4, something they say they wished the company would have spelled out on their packaging.

“This just scares me,” Agnew's mom told The BBC. “That’s why we’re speaking about it — to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else."

Here's hoping that by sharing their scary situation others will be made aware of the dangers of glycerol, as well. And if you have a child younger than 4 years of age, keep them away from slush drinks.