Nearly all of the children in the study -- 94% -- experienced a drop in consciousness, 95% had dangerously low blood sugar, and 94% developed a buildup of acid in the body. Other symptoms included low potassium levels, excessive fat levels in the blood, and high levels of glycerol in the urine.

Children 7 and younger suffered a sudden sharp drop in blood sugar, reduced consciousness and a build-up of acid in their blood within an hour of downing slushies containing glycerol, researchers reported March 11 in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.