Nutrition: IFA syrup for children: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Nutrition: IFA syrup for children

Sample item

Under the national anaemia control programme, children aged 6 to 59 months receive IFA syrup:

A1 mL twice a weekB5 mL once a weekC10 mL dailyD1 mL once a month

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. 1 mL twice a week

Children 6 to 59 months get 1 mL of IFA syrup twice weekly (biweekly) as prophylaxis. The syrup contains 20 mg elemental iron and 100 mcg folic acid per mL.

Option by option

A. 1 mL twice a week (correct)
Correct. 1 mL is given twice weekly.
B. 5 mL once a week
5 mL weekly is not the schedule.
C. 10 mL daily
10 mL daily would be an excessive dose.
D. 1 mL once a month
Monthly dosing is insufficient.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is A, 1 mL twice a week. Children 6 to 59 months get 1 mL of IFA syrup twice weekly (biweekly) as prophylaxis.

Why is "5 mL once a week" not the answer?

5 mL weekly is not the schedule.

Why is "10 mL daily" not the answer?

10 mL daily would be an excessive dose.

Why is "1 mL once a month" not the answer?

Monthly dosing is insufficient.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nutrition: IFA syrup for children in PSM. The syrup contains 20 mg elemental iron and 100 mcg folic acid per mL.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nutrition: IFA syrup for children?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.