How much dose of Vitamin A is given to a 16 month old child?

Appeared in: MP CHO -2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The national prophylaxis schedule recommends a 2 lac IU dose of Vitamin A for children aged 1 to 5 years.
A 16-month-old child falls into the category that receives the second dose of Vitamin A, which is 2 lac IU (2 ml).
The first dose is 1 lac IU (1 ml) at 9 months, and all subsequent doses every 6 months until age 5 are 2 lac IU.

Option A: This dose (50,000 IU) is not a standard prophylactic dose for a 16-month-old child in the national schedule. It is sometimes used for infants younger than 6 months under specific therapeutic circumstances.
Option B: This dose (100,000 IU) is administered as the first dose of the Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule, not for a 16-month-old.
Option D: This dose (300,000 IU) is excessive and significantly increases the risk of acute Vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children under the national immunization program to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a critical role in administering Vitamin A as per the schedule, educating mothers about its importance, and informing them of the date for the next dose.
It is crucial to document the administration of Vitamin A in the child's immunization card to prevent both under-dosing and over-dosing.
What if the child is 12 months old and missed their 9-month dose? The nurse should administer the 1 lac IU dose immediately and advise the parent to return for the 2 lac IU dose at 16-18 months.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key information in the question: the nutrient (Vitamin A) and the child's age (16 months).
The question asks for a specific dose, which requires recalling factual information from the National Immunization Schedule.
Recall the Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children in India.
The schedule starts with 1 lac IU at 9 months.
The second dose, given at 16-18 months, is 2 lac IU.
Subsequent doses every 6 months until 5 years are also 2 lac IU.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule for children under the national immunization program.
Stem keywords: Vitamin A, dose, 16 month old child
Lead-in keywords: How much
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.
Negative lead-in flag: false

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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 MP CHO -2019 (Shift-2)

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