Dose of Vitamin-A for a 2-year-old child?

Appeared in: AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Explanation

For children aged 1 to 6 years, the standard prophylactic dose of Vitamin A is 200,000 IU (2 lac IU).
This dose is administered orally every 6 months to prevent Vitamin A deficiency.
A 2-year-old child falls squarely within this age bracket (12-72 months).
This high-dose supplementation is a key public health intervention to reduce child mortality and prevent blindness.

Option A: This dose is too low for a 2-year-old child.
Option C: This is an incorrect and excessively high dose for routine prophylaxis.
Option D: This is an incorrect and dangerously high dose that significantly increases the risk of acute toxicity.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a critical role in administering Vitamin A supplements during immunization clinics and outreach sessions, ensuring the correct dose is given for the child's age.
Patient education is key. Nurses must counsel caregivers on the importance of the supplement, the schedule for the next dose, and potential minor side effects like transient nausea or vomiting.
Nurses should be vigilant in identifying signs of Vitamin A deficiency (e.g., night blindness, Bitot's spots) and toxicity (e.g., bulging fontanels in infants, vomiting, irritability).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key information in the question: the nutrient (Vitamin A) and the patient's age (2 years).
This is a factual recall question based on established public health guidelines.
Recall the national prophylaxis schedule for Vitamin A supplementation in children.
Remember that the dose changes based on specific age brackets: one dose for infants (6-11 months) and a different, higher dose for children (1-6 years).
Select the option that matches the recommended dose for a child over 1 year of age.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children.
Stem keywords: Dose, Vitamin-A, 2-year-old child
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Clinical cues: Age of the child (2 years) is the key determinant for the dosage.

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 143-145

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 515-517

Practise the full AIIMS Delhi NO - 2017

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.