title: Creamatocrit and the nutrient composition of human milk.
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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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 x creamatocrit(%) + 32.5 for a fresh sample, and energy (kcal/dl) = 6.20 x creamatocrit(%) + 35.1 for a frozen sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Calculations of energy content from the creamatocrit measurement may be useful for an accurate assessment of energy intake in preterm infants fed human milk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Mellen
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shenai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002498:Centrifugation; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007774:Lactation; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D009035:Mothers; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids