The fat content of breast milk is an important indicator, since it will determine the health and well-being of the baby. Insufficient fat content leads to a weak saturation of the child and, as a consequence, to a slow increase in weight. A too fatty breast milk contributes to the development of dysbiosis in infants .
To date, some private laboratories provide an opportunity to pass an analysis of breast milk for fat content, immunological indicators and other parameters. For this, there are special chemical tests. However, to find out how much fat content in breast milk can be at home. In addition, this method does not take much time and effort. And there is also no need for financial costs for laboratory services.
Degree of fat content of breast milk
Let's take a closer look at how you can determine the fat content of breast milk with a simple and affordable test. To test in a tube or a glass, the expressed milk is collected. It is better to take the so-called "back" milk. During breastfeeding, the baby first sucks in the first portion of breast milk, which is more liquid by its consistency. This - "front" milk, consisting mainly of water and lactose. But the second portion is just the "back" milk, saturated with useful substances, including fats. Therefore, before you determine the fat content of breast milk, you need to get this portion.
It is worth noting that the less the amount of breast milk in iron, the more fat it will be. After all, in this case, fats and other components of milk are concentrated.
Method for determining the fat content of breast milk
The main steps in the way how to check the fat content of breast milk are as follows:
- On a test tube or a glass make a note. For the convenience of calculations, it is better to note 10 cm from the bottom.
- Fill the selected container with expressed milk to the mark.
- Leave the tube or glass for a certain time, necessary for the cream surface to form on the surface of the milk. Typically, this takes about 6 hours. It is important to remember that you can not shake a container of milk,
because in this case the result will not be reliable. - Measure the thickness of the cream layer and evaluate the result. It is believed that every millimeter of a layer of cream corresponds to one percent of fat. Usually the fat content of breast milk is about 4%, so the thickness of the cream layer on the milk surface will be 4mm.
After determining the percentage of breast milk , and it should be different in fat in different periods of development of the baby, you can take measures to increase or decrease its fat content.