Usually I prefer lurking to posting, but having taught high school
chemistry for many years I felt I had to speak up on the topic of using scales
to accurately determine fluid intake.  All liquids (as well as solids and
gases) have their own density, which is the comparison of the mass of of that
particular liquid to the volume that it occupies.  The formula is Density =
Mass / Volume.  The density of water is 1 gram per 1 ml (or cc) at 4
degrees Centigrade.  Liquids lighter than water, like oils, float
on water, and therefore have less density, and liquids that sink in
water are more dense.  For example, the density of cotton seed oil is
.917 grams per ml, whereas the density of mercury is 13.6 grams per ml.  I
don't know what the density of breastmilk is, but I would assume it would
vary due to the fat content.  Either someone has determined that the
density of breast milk is close enough to water that we can count it as 1
gram/ml, or the scales specifically made to weigh breastfed babies are
calculated so that they reflect the average density of breast milk.




--- Marilyn Farland, BSN, IBCLC

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