What dose of Vitamin A should be given orally to a 3-year-old child every 6 months?

Appeared in: MP CHO -2021 (Shift 1st)

Explanation

As per the national vitamin A prophylaxis program, children between the ages of 1 and 5 years are given a high dose of vitamin A every six months.
For a 3-year-old child, this dose is 2,00,000 International Units (IU).
The standard oral solution contains 1,00,000 IU of vitamin A per 1 ml.
Therefore, the correct volume to administer for a 2,00,000 IU dose is 2.0 ml.

Option A: This dose is therapeutically insignificant for prophylaxis against vitamin A deficiency.
Option B: This dose is too low for a 3-year-old child. It is the recommended dose for infants under 6 months of age with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), not for routine prophylaxis in a healthy 3-year-old.
Option C: This is the initial dose of Vitamin A given to an infant, not the follow-up dose for a toddler.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Vitamin A Prophylaxis Schedule to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Vitamin A prophylaxis is a critical public health intervention in India to prevent xerophthalmia (nutritional blindness) and reduce child morbidity and mortality.
Nurses play a vital role in administering the correct dose at the correct time during immunization clinics and outreach sessions, and in educating mothers about its importance.
What if? If the child were 9 months old, the correct dose would be 1,00,000 IU (1 ml), administered along with the first dose of the measles vaccine. The dose is increased to 2,00,000 IU for all subsequent doses.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on a national health program.
First, identify the key parameters in the question: the drug (Vitamin A), the patient's age (3 years), and the context (routine administration every 6 months).
Next, recall the specific details of the Vitamin A Prophylaxis schedule under the National Immunization Schedule.
Remember that the schedule has two different doses: one for the first administration at 9 months and a higher dose for all subsequent administrations.
A 3-year-old child falls into the category for subsequent doses.
Match the age group (1-5 years) to the correct dose (2,00,000 IU) and its corresponding volume (2.0 ml) and select the matching option.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vitamin A Prophylaxis Schedule
Stem keywords: Vitamin A, dose, orally, 3-year-old child, 6 months
Lead-in keywords: What dose
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 151-153

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

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

Practise the full MP CHO -2021 (Shift 1st)

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