Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Dosing for a 12.5kg Child (2-3 Years Old)
For a 2-3 year old child weighing 12.5kg, administer 100 mg of vitamin C once daily via oral or intravenous route, based on FDA-approved dosing guidelines. 1
Recommended Dosage and Formulation
Standard Dosing
- Children aged 1 year to less than 11 years: 100 mg once daily 1
- This child at 12.5kg falls into the 1-11 year age category, making 100 mg the appropriate dose 1
Parenteral Nutrition Context
- If this child requires parenteral nutrition, the guideline recommends 15-25 mg/kg/day for infants up to 12 months and 80 mg/day for older children 2
- For a 2-3 year old on parenteral nutrition, 80 mg/day would be appropriate, though the FDA-approved dose of 100 mg daily is higher and represents the standard recommendation 2, 1
Formulation Options
Intravenous Administration
- Must be diluted prior to use - ASCOR contains 25,000 mg per vial and requires dilution to isotonic solution 1
- For the 100 mg dose: Add 0.2 mL of ASCOR to approximately 3.8 mL of Sterile Water for Injection to create an isotonic solution 1
- Final concentration should be 1-25 mg/mL of ascorbic acid 1
- Administer as a slow intravenous infusion 1
- Solution should appear colorless to pale yellow 1
Oral Administration
- Oral vitamin C supplements are widely available in chewable tablets, liquid suspensions, or dissolvable powders
- Standard pediatric formulations typically contain 50-100 mg per dose, making dosing straightforward
Administration Guidelines
Key Safety Parameters
- Maximum recommended duration: one week for IV formulation 1
- Minimize exposure to light as ascorbic acid is light-sensitive 1
- Do not mix with solutions containing elemental compounds that can be reduced (e.g., copper) 1
Clinical Considerations
- Ascorbic acid is essential for bone formation, wound healing, connective tissue growth, and maintaining healthy gum tissue 3
- It functions primarily as an antioxidant and supports immune function 3
- The dose of 100 mg daily is well above the minimum requirement and provides adequate supplementation without risk of toxicity 1
Important Caveats
- Do not exceed recommended doses - while vitamin C has low toxicity, megadose therapy has not shown proven benefits and may occasionally be injurious 4
- For children with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, doses should not exceed the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 1
- If using IV formulation, each dose must be used immediately after preparation; discard unused portion 1