XI'AN- A private kindergarten in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, is being investigated after allegations that it gave children unauthorized prescription medicine.

Three school officials were detained by the police.

According to Huang Xiaohua, deputy secretary-general of the Xi'an municipal government, a joint investigation team from the city's education bureau, health bureau, food and medicine administration and public security bureau has been sent to the Feng Yun Kindergarten.

Sun Xuehong, the school's owner; Zhao Baoying, the manager; and Huang Linxia, the care physician, were all detained by the police, Huang said.

The 690 children attending the kindergarten were sent to a local hospital for health examinations on Wednesday, and those who were affected by the medicine would be treated, Huang said.

A mother surnamed Cheng discovered by chance that her 5-year-old daughter had taken a tablet of guanidine hydrochloride, a prescription anti-viral drug that should be given only by qualified doctors.

She wrote about the incident on her micro blog, creating a stir among parents of children who also attended the kindergarten.

"My daughter told me she took the medicine in the kindergarten on March 6, and I wondered why the kindergarten gave her the tablets, since she was not ill," Cheng said.

Guanidine hydrochloride is used to treat viral influenza or herpes virus infections and can have side effects, including sweating, loss of appetite and low blood sugar.

"The kindergarten never told us parents that they gave our kids that medicine, and we want to know why they did this," another mother, surnamed Wang, said.

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China kindergarten probed over unauthorized medicine prescription claims