The dangerously regular intake of anti-flu prescription medicine, dubbed ABOB, in children by a kindergarten in Xi'an is not an isolated incident. A number of other kindergartens in Jilin and Hubei provinces have been found giving regular doses to students despite potential side effects, reports the Chinese-language Beijing Youth Daily.

"On top of the cases already brought to light, I believe even more kindergartens will be found to have committed the irregularity," said an executive of a national children's education institution. Some kindergartens offer prescription or over-the-counter medicines to children during peak flu season to prevent a drop in attendance rates, he added.

The executive noted that the practice is more common in smaller cities due to lax regulations on medical and health care at kindergartens there. "Unlike big cities such as Beijing where medical staff at kindergartens can administer nutrition to children and monitor their health, kindergartens in smaller cities usually don't have medical staffe and are rather liberal in their medications," said Zhou.

The irregularity has been added to other abnormalities afflicting kindergartens in the nation, including maltreatment and sexual abuse. Weak education and substandard personnel quality are two major problems for private kindergartens, according to the executive. The nutshell of the problem is that the management of kindergartens has become business-oriented, he added.

"They are businesspersons, rather than educators, taking advantage of loose regulations to maximize profits," he said.