Simple method for determining the caloric and fat content of human milk

The creamatocrit method of assessing the caloric value and fat content of human milk has been found to be accurate, simple, and inexpensive. The method was used on 46 samples of milk from 7 women in various stages of lactation and breast emptying and compared to 126 samples from 26 women analyzed by the method of Frings and Dunn and by bomb calorimetry. The linear relationship between the creamatocrit and the caloric content of milk shows a variation of about 11% or 9.4 kcal/100 ml. A representative, well-mixed sample should be used; a complete sample should be used to determine entire nutritional adequacy of mother's milk.