1 May 2026Oral drugs
Colecalciferol = Vitamin D3 oral
Vitamin D3 guidance for prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency, with neonatal, child, adult, and pregnancy dosing.
Prescription under medical supervision
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Vitamin necessary for the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate and for normal bone calcification.
Indications
Prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiencies such as rickets and osteomalacia.
Forms and strengths
- 10 000 IU/ml oral solution in 10 ml vial.
- 50 000 IU/ml oral solution in 2 ml ampoule (100 000 IU).
Dose and duration
Colecalciferol and ergocalciferol are used at the same doses.
Do not exceed 600 000 IU yearly.
Prevention of vitamin D deficiencies
- Term neonate: 400 to 800 IU once daily until 6 months of age.
- Term neonate in contexts of high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency: 600 to 1200 IU once daily until 6 months of age.
- Pregnant woman: 100 000 IU single dose, one 2 ml ampoule, in the 6th or 7th month of pregnancy.
- Child < 12 months: 400 IU once daily.
- Child >= 12 months and adult: 600 IU once daily.
Treatment of vitamin D deficiencies
- Child < 3 months: 2 000 IU once daily for 3 months.
- Child from 3 to < 12 months: 2 000 IU once daily for 3 months or 50 000 IU single dose.
- Child from 12 months to < 12 years: 3 000 to 6 000 IU once daily for 3 months or 150 000 IU single dose.
- Child >= 12 years and adult: 6 000 IU once daily for 3 months or 300 000 IU single dose.
- Then continue with preventive dose as long as the situation requires.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with hypercalcaemia, hypercalciuria, calcic lithiasis, or severe renal impairment.
- Stop treatment if signs of overdosage occur such as headache, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, increased thirst, or polyuria.
- Avoid combination with thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide because urinary calcium excretion decreases.
- Monitor calcaemia and calciuria during curative treatment if possible.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication. When curative treatment is being administered to the mother, do not give vitamin D to the child.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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