Latest news with #Children'sHealthIreland
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Under 12s should not drink slushies containing glycerol, HSE warns
Letting young children drink slush ice drinks, also known as slushies, is as bad for them as letting them consume antifreeze, according to Health Service Executive National Clinical Lead for Obesity, Professor Donal O'Shea. The warning comes in the wake of research from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) showing that consumption of the sweet frozen drink by those under the age of 12 could lead to a condition known as glycerol intoxication syndrome. The work, published in March, described 21 cases of children with glycerol intoxication syndrome. Prof O'Shea said people needed to be aware of the issue, and if slushies are consumed, it should be in moderation and only for older children. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Philip Boucher Hayes, he said the ingredient that prevents slushies from completely freezing - glycerol - was the original antifreeze used in cars to stop the water from freezing. While it is no longer used in cars, he said drinking too much glycerol in slushies, "especially for a young brain", is potentially very dangerous. "If you get too much glycerol into a young brain, it shrinks the brain a little bit, and it has been used in the past to treat swelling in the brain as a medical treatment, but a young brain then gets affected." He said people can then present with symptoms like confusion, headaches and nausea. Long-term consumption, the syndrome can cause unconsciousness and seizures, which can lead to serious long-term outcomes. He warned that no young child should consume the product. "If a kid does have a slushie and they say they like it and they want another one, they should certainly not have a couple of them back-to-back". He said that people do not associate a brightly coloured ice drink with negative health consequences for children. "The way these products are positioned and the way they're coloured, kids find them very attractive." Prof O'Shea said if a child was going to have a slushie, it should be one without glycerol, but these tended to have large amounts of sugar, which comes with a high calorie content. According to the Food Safety Authority (FSAI), glycerol or E422, is an approved additive in the EU used in slush ice drinks as a substitute or partial substitute for sugar. It is used because it helps maintain the slushy texture by preventing the liquid from freezing solid. . After reaching that age, they advise people to exercise caution and moderation if they must consume slushies. Prof O'Shea said that he would like to see a very cautious approach to glycerol consumption under the age of 12. "It is an acute intoxication syndrome. Glycerol is an alcohol-like product, so you have acute intoxication with alcohol. "Terrible things happen while you are acutely unwell, like you fall and hit your head, then you are left with the long-term consequences, but then once the alcohol, in this case glycerol, is out of your system, you will be sitting up and you will be well again". He said that if you "wouldn't give a child under the age of seven or eight a glass of whiskey or a glass of wine", and so they really should not be having slushies.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Health
- Sunday World
Kerry footballers bring Sam Maguire to sick kids in Temple Street
Children's Health Foundation welcomed the All Ireland football champions Kerry to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street. Cody Sheehy (14) from Ballinahinch Co Tipperary with Sam Maguire Cup and player Paul Murphy. Photo by Andres Poveda. Children's Health Foundation welcomed the All Ireland football champions Kerry to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street. Pictured are CHI Temple Street Staff and Chloe Garrell (10) from Walkinstown, Co Dublin with players Diarmuid O'Connor, Paul Murphy, Killian Spillane, Gavin White and Tadhg Morley. Photo by Andres Poveda. Amy Lilly (4) is pictured with Sam Maguire and player Paul Murphy as Children's Health Foundation welcomed the All Ireland football champions Kerry to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street. Photo by Andres Poveda. Children's Health Foundation welcomed the All Ireland football champions Kerry to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street. Chloe Garrell (10) from Walkinstown, Co Dublin is pictured with players Diarmuid O'Connor, Paul Murphy, Killian Spillane, Gavin White and Tadhg Morley. Photo by Andres Poveda. Saoirse McDonagh (10) from Liscannor Co Clare is pictured with Sam Maguire as Children's Health Foundation welcomed the All Ireland football champions Kerry to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street. Photo by Andres Poveda.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Family appeal for funds after HSE refuses to reimburse cost of baby's life-saving treatment
A heartbroken mum has criticised the government after being denied reimbursement for life-saving medication to help her seriously ill baby. At just seven weeks old, Lucy Gavin's son Toby has spent most of his life to date in hospital. Toby suffers from the rare condition, Propionic Acidaemia (PA), a metabolic disorder impacting the protein pathway. It has left the infant's life hanging in the balance on numerous occasions. Its destruction on his tiny body is such that the family is already in the process of trying to secure a liver transplant for him through King's College Hospital in London. Lucy says Toby needs carglumic acid, which is sold under the brand name Carbaglu, for the treatment of hyperammonaemia, characterised by abnormally high levels of ammonia in the blood. Lucy, who lives in Mullingar, said the only way they can gain access to the drug is while Toby is staying in the Children's Health Ireland hospital at Temple Street. Without personal access to carglumic acid, the family is unable to treat the condition at home. Consequently, Lucy says she now barely sees her husband Niall and has missed out on precious time with her daughter Ivy who is set to turn two in September. Since the family is unable to treat Toby's Propionic Acidaemia at home Lucy (left) now barely sees her husband Niall (second from right) and has missed out on precious time with her daughter Ivy (right). She added that without the drug, they will have to spend three out of every four weeks in hospital with Toby. Toby's medication comes in at €4,000 a month if accessed privately. Lucy said her son will need this for about a year to see any kind of stabilisation of his condition. She has been told it will likely be at least two years before he can undergo a liver transplant operation. Meanwhile, the family is also exploring clinical trials. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by Toby's family and friends to cover his long-term treatment costs. A letter from the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) informed Toby's doctor that carglumic acid is not reimbursed under community drug schemes or arrangements. The medical team has since reached out to manufacturers of the medication to see if they can access it on compassionate grounds. However, they are yet to receive a response. Lucy explained the dangers of the condition. 'When Toby can't break down these amino acids, they just build up into a toxin called ammonia. Basically, this is very poisonous to the body and really dangerous to the brain. It causes seizures, which obviously we've seen at home because the ammonia had reached a really high level. It can also cause brain damage, which is irreversible. "With this comes outcomes like cerebral palsy and difficulties walking and talking.' Toby spent his first few weeks after birth battling to stay alive. 'I feel like the newborn period has been stolen from us. We never got the opportunity to have the tiny newborn cuddles. This is because for the first week and a half he was stuck to a ventilator in an incubator. "We couldn't touch him. We never even got to hold him when he was in intensive care. He had 16 different IV medications running through him and a line in his neck that went to his heart. This had to be done because they needed to keep him alive. "However, I don't want to needlessly miss out on another three months of his life because he is stuck in hospital. Making memories as a family is so important to us.' Lucy, who worked as a paediatric nurse, said she never believed her family would be in this situation. At one point in the hospital we were told to ring Toby's grandparents to come and see him. It scared me so much because they only really do that when a child is dying. Another person mentioned about getting him baptised. She spoke about how the situation is impacting their daughter Ivy. 'The other night I couldn't help but cry because I was trying to put our little girl to bed. She was calling down for Niall and he wasn't there. "She was bawling crying. I started crying too, because there is no way to explain this to a two-year-old. When she comes down to the sitting room in the morning, the first thing she does is peek into the Moses basket, but he's not there.' To donate to Toby's treatment fund or find out more visit their Gofundme page.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Baby boy, 20 months, rushed to hospital after alleged assault in Dublin park
A baby boy was rushed to hospital after he was injured in an alleged assault at a Dublin park last week. Gardaí have launched an investigation following the alleged assault which took place in Thomastown Park, Sallynoggin, Dublin on Tuesday, July 22 at around 2:30pm. The child, who is 20 months old, was rushed to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin for treatment of their injuries. One man, aged in his 50s, was arrested and detained but has since been released without charge. Gardaí said investigations are ongoing. A Garda spokesperson told Dublin Live: "Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault that occurred in Thomastown Park, Sallynoggin, Dublin (on the) afternoon Tuesday 22 July, 2025 at approximately 2.30pm. "A male infant, 20 months, was injured during the incident and taken to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin for treatment. 'A male, aged in his 50s was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. He has since been released without charge and investigations are ongoing." For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Horror as baby boy rushed to hospital after being knocked out of pram in alleged daylight assault in Dublin park
A BABY boy was rushed to hospital last week following an alleged attack on the child's mother in a popular park in Co Dublin. The 20 month old infant is reported to have suffered head injuries after allegedly being knocked from his pram by a man. Advertisement The 24-year-old mum was on her daily walk with her baby in Thomastown Park in Sallynoggin when the alleged assault took place. The child was taken to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin to be treated for head injuries after the incident at around 2:30pm. Speaking to the Irish Independent, the woman's husband told how the attack took place in broad daylight on a route the mum and son take every day. He said: "She said she just started screaming as loud as she could once he grabbed her. Advertisement READ MORE IRISH NEWS "He took her by surprise, from behind, pushing the buggy to the ground in the process. "We were very lucky that there were people nearby, in particular the man who was out running and came to help my wife and son." The woman's husband said she feared for her life during the attack and is still "very shaken" by what happened, adding that the couple are now focusing on their baby son and his welfare. In a statement today, gardai confirmed that a man had been arrested in connection with the alleged assault but has since been released. Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Officers said they are continuing to investigate the incident. A spokesperson said: " "A male infant, 20 months was injured during the incident and taken to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin for treatment. "A male, aged in his 50s was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Advertisement He has since been released without charge and investigations are ongoing." 1 Gardai are investigating the alleged assault Credit: Garrett White
