A doctor has revealed the terrifying reason parents should ban their children from slushy-style drinks this summer.
Dr Neena Chandrasekaran specialises in pulmonary and critical care medicine, and shares her expertise on TikTok with her 150,000 followers.
In a recent clip, which went viral garnering tens of thousands of views, the 34-year-old medic issued a stark warning to parents as the warmer weather rolls in.
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“Children should avoid slushy icy drinks,” Dr Chandrasekaran, who is based in Florida, US, said, in a clip shared with Need To Know.
Researchers show that these slushy drinks contain glycerol and can cause glycerol intoxication syndrome.
“A study conducted in the UK by researchers evaluated 21 two-year-olds who had slushies and needed emergency treatment in the ER right after they had been drinking slushies.
“These slushies can appear as brain freeze within a child, however, they can cause dizziness, coma, and feeling out of sorts.
“This can lead to glycerol intoxication and, within this population that was studied, one had a seizure and four of them needed brain scans – CT scans – to evaluate their symptoms.”
The current Food Standards Agency (FSA) advice says that children under five should avoid the drinks, and children under 11 should have no more than one.
Glycerol intoxication can cause shock, hypoglycaemia, and loss of consciousness.
Dr Chandrasekaran advised parents to proceed with caution, “especially now that it’s getting hot”.
One person commented: “Wow that is crazy. I have definitely shared my slushee drink with my kids before. Good to know now.”
“This is terrifying when you consider every last place designated for children has these and very few other options,” another said.
Someone else wrote: “I’ve thrown up every slushy I’ve ever finished.”
“I remember learning about this years ago because my son started wanting slushies and I looked it up because I figured they couldn’t be good for toddlers,” another user added.
The doctor previously shared a clip warning that vaping can make men infertile, by reducing their sperm count and quality.
She said, “Vaping has been shown to have a negative impact on both male and female infertility.
Within male fertility, this includes reduced sperm count, reduced sperm quality and reduced sperm motility.
“This can make it difficult for a woman to conceive.
“This can even lead to DNA damage, and some studies have shown that male partners who do vape while conceiving with their wives or significant others or partners have been linked to various intellectual or mental challenges and disabilities, including autism.
“Because vaping has harmful toxins that can lead to DNA damage within the sperm.
“Vaping can also cause a hormonal disruption, which is a decrease in testosterone in males.”
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