As per WHO recommendations adopted in India, what is the dose and duration of elemental zinc supplementation for a 2-year-old child with acute diarrhoea?

• A 10 mg daily for 14 days
• B 20 mg daily for 14 days ✓
• C 20 mg daily for 5 days
• D 45 mg daily for 14 days

Explanation

WHO and the Indian diarrhoea treatment guidelines recommend 20 mg of elemental zinc daily for 14 days for children above 6 months of age, and 10 mg daily for 14 days for infants below 6 months. Zinc reduces duration and severity of the episode and prevents recurrence for the following two to three months. The 10 mg dose applies only to infants younger than 6 months, which excludes this 2-year-old child.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.