How much dose of Vitamin A is administered every 6 months to Pre-School children?

RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2015

Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)

Easy

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2015

Explanation

The correct dose of Vitamin A administered every 6 months to preschool children (aged 1-6 years) is 200,000 IU.
This is a key component of the National Vitamin A Prophylaxis Programme aimed at preventing xerophthalmia (nutritional blindness).
This dose corresponds to 2 ml of the standard oily Vitamin A solution.
The schedule begins with a smaller dose for infants and increases for the preschool age group.

Option A: This dose is incorrect for the 6-monthly schedule for preschool children.
Option B: This is an incorrect dosage and is not part of the standard national prophylaxis schedule for Vitamin A.
Option D: This is an incorrect and excessive dose for routine prophylaxis, which increases the risk of hypervitaminosis A (toxicity).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing National Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
The Vitamin A prophylaxis program is a critical public health intervention to prevent xerophthalmia, a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, and to reduce mortality from common childhood illnesses like diarrhea and measles.
Nurses play a vital role in administering the oral solution, accurately recording the dose on the immunization card, and educating parents about the importance of the schedule.
What if? If a child presents with active clinical signs of Vitamin A deficiency (e.g., Bitot's spots, night blindness), they would not follow the prophylactic schedule. Instead, they would receive a therapeutic regimen, which involves higher frequency dosing (e.g., doses on day 1, day 2, and day 14) to quickly restore their vitamin levels.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key elements of the question: 'Vitamin A', 'dose', 'every 6 months', and 'Pre-School children'.
This is a direct recall question based on the National Immunization Schedule.
Recall the specific guidelines for Vitamin A supplementation in India.
Differentiate between the initial dose given to infants (at 9 months) and the subsequent doses given to preschool children (1-5 years).
The question specifically asks for the dose given 'every 6 months' to 'Pre-School children', which points to the dose for the 1-5 year age group.
Select the option that matches this dose, which is 200,000 IU.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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