Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Creamatocrit and the Nutrient Composition of Human Milk

Journal of Perinatology volume 19, pages 343–346 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

We tested the hypothesis that creamatocrit, the length of the cream column separated from milk by centrifugation and expressed as a percentage of the length of the total milk column, is a useful measure of the lipid concentration and the energy content of human milk.

STUDY DESIGN:

Milk samples from 17 mothers of preterm infants were analyzed prospectively, fresh as well as frozen and thawed, for creamatocrit measurement and nutrient composition.

RESULTS:

Creamatocrit correlated strongly with lipid concentration and energy content of human milk, fresh or frozen and thawed. The energy content can be calculated from the regression equation: Energy (kcal/dl) = 5.99 × creamatocrit (%) + 32.5 for a fresh sample, and energy (kcal/dl) = 6.20 × creamatocrit (%) + 35.1 for a frozen sample.

CONCLUSION:

Calculations of energy content from the creamatocrit measurement may be useful for an accurate assessment of energy intake in preterm infants fed human milk.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN

    Jayant P Shenai MD

  2. Preventive Medicine, Nashville, TN

    Beverly G Mellen PhD

  3. Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN

    Christine D Wang BS & Patricia S Chu BS

Authors
  1. Christine D Wang BS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patricia S Chu BS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Beverly G Mellen PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jayant P Shenai MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Supported in part by funds from the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit(DK 26657), Vanderbilt University.

Presented in part at the National Perinatal Association Annual ClinicalConference and Exposition (Young Investigator Award Presentation),Tampa, FL, December 7, 1997. C. D. W. and P. S. C.are medical students at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, C., Chu, P., Mellen, B. et al. Creamatocrit and the Nutrient Composition of Human Milk. J Perinatol 19, 343–346 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7200204

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7200204

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links