Karnataka PGET Pediatrics MCQ Answer 07

The correct answer is B

Vitamin A deficiency in childhood is mainly due to inadequate dietary intake of Vit. A. Increased requirement of the Vit. A due to repeated infection aggravated the magnitude and severity of the deficiency. In 1970, the National Prophylaxis Programme Against Nutritional Blindness was initiated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). Under this CSS, all children between ages of one and five years were to be administered 200,000 IU of Vitamin A orally, once in six months.

In an attempt to improve the coverage especially in the vulnerable 6 months to 23 months age-group, Government of India took a decision to link up Vitamin A administration to the ongoing immunisation programme during the Eighth Plan period. Under the revised regimen a dose of 100,000 IU of Vit.A is to be given to all infants at 9 months along with measles vaccine and a second dose of 200,000 IU is to be administered at 18 months of age along with booster dose of DPT and OPV. Subsequently, the children are to receive three doses of 200,000 IU of Vitamin A every 6 months until 36 months of age.

By the fifth year, each child is expected to have received a total of nine oral mega doses of vitamin A under the national programme (although in frequent situations of limited availability of vitamin A, the unstated policy has been to preferentially target the 6-36 month child, and treat deficiencies in the older prescool children).

Category: Karnataka PGET 2007 MCQs