Kindergarten children in a Chinese city have developed an unexplained condition under which their fingernails are falling off, sparking panic among their parents.
Li Yuefang, head of the Wenshou Kindergarten, said that the 17 kids had reported nail problems in December.
"No cause has been found," Li said, admitting that 12 students had been withdrawn from the kindergarten as their parents were worried about their safety.
A post appeared in an Internet forum on Tuesday, saying over 50 children in the kindergarten have shown similar symptoms of separated nails, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The education bureau in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou, which administrates the kindergarten, said that medical experts have ruled out the possibilities indoor environmental pollution and fungal infection.
The municipal centre of disease control has entrusted a local air testing centre to check the air quality in the kindergarten's classroom.
All indicators have proved on par with relevant safety standards, the news agency reported.
Zhan Jianying, a doctor with the Zhejiang Provincial Children's Hospital, said a lack of certain micro-elements necessary for human bodies might be the cause.
