Here's the procedure for a creamatocrit. Draw up freshly expressed milk into a tube, just like you do when you are doing a hematocrit. Remember if you are looking for an AVERAGE calorie count, it should be milk from a combined sample - one breast completely expressed to get an average fat content. But that fat content varies according to the fullness of the breast, so it's not cut and dried like a hematocrit is. The sample then needs to be spun in a centrifuge, the length of time depending on the speed of the centrifuge. Then the percentage of fat layer to the total column of milk is measured. This then is compared to a reference table (which you can look up) for fat percentage, calories per oz or per dL or whatever you are looking to find. The problem with this procedure is it is just like doing before and after weights. It gives a snapshot picture of that moment in time, but it is not a video. IN Hartmann's research, they collected 24 hours worth of assessments to get their curves, for the particular woman, before they began further analysis. Wouldn't it be nice (to some) if we could just make up a mathematical formula and plug women into it? This is why many "male-dominated mentality" health care providers just throw up their hands and tell moms with issues - "oh just pump it out and put it in a bottle, or better yet, give some artificial baby milk, cause I was fed that way and I turned out fine." (Just combining a few arguments I've heard over the years and lately and every day and I'm SICK TO DEATH of it!)
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rachel Myr
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:12 AM
Subject: Want input, slow-growing child, creamatocrit?
Need input on a case for which I have permission to post, please reply to the list.
The child is just over a year and a half, weight 8150 g, length 75 cm (just below 18 lb, and 30 inches). Exclusively BF for first six months by his mother, who has long and good experience breastfeeding her other children, singly and tandem. She went on dairy-free diet from seven weeks because of bloody stools in baby, which resolved and never returned. Weight gain at low end of normal until six months, thereafter about sixty grams/month (about two ounces). Rest of family (both parents and all siblings) are above average in size.
He currently breastfeeds twelve to fourteen times a day.
Specialists have checked for every possible condition that could be associated with failure to thrive (including lymphoma, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, anemia, celiac disease, all major organ functions, gut fat absorption), and there were no abnormal findings. Other food allergies were discovered so now mother and child are not eating dairy, egg, corn, wheat, soy, peanuts or anything containing gluten. Mother well informed about diet, prepares own food and child has good appetite. He is developmentally entirely normal, if not precocious, for example he is out of diapers. Has never had a GI illness since the bloody stools in the first few weeks of life, and has always breastfed without difficulty, no choking, gagging, spitting up, ever.
During two periods, one year apart, since he began weaning foods, he reverted to exclusive or near-exclusive BF for some weeks. Both times, he gained more weight than he normally does on a diet including solids, and grew in length.
His slow growth is the focus of concern from parents and his doctor. Since no pathology has been found in the child, and despite the fact that his growth has been noticeably more rapid during the two periods when he was getting more breastmilk than usual, the composition of her milk has come under suspicion, and the pediatrician is interested in measuring the fat content, if a place can be found to carry out such an analysis.
I am not familiar with the procedure. How should the milk sample be collected? Should she collect one sample from each breast, or should they be pooled? Is there a time of day that is preferable, or should she perhaps collect several, at different times? And, does anyone know where one would have milk analyzed for carbohydrate and protein content, should this come up? Once the result is back, what are the reference values and limits of normal?
And, if anyone has anything to add, some stone that has been left unturned, please post about that too. I am open to the possibility that we are dealing with a person whose growth rate is not mainly nutritionally determined, and I would hate to see a good diet be sacrificed in the name of boosting his weight for the sake of weight alone.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
