Maternal human milk as a Risk factor to the Early-life Exposome

The MATREEX project will investigate how pharmaceuticals and environmental contaminants are transferred from mothers to infants during breastfeeding, and how these exposures may affect health in early life. While breastfeeding is vital for infant development, it can also serve as a pathway for exposure to both medicines and environmental contaminants, creating uncertainty for mothers, clinicians, and regulators. To address this, MATREEX introduces an innovative dual-matrix approach, analysing human milk together with neonatal dried blood spots collected through minimally invasive sampling. This will generate the first longitudinal paired datasets that directly link maternal intake to infant exposure. The research will focus on high-priority medicines, including antimalarials and cystic fibrosis therapies, while also applying broad screening methods to identify environmental contaminants such as plasticisers and PFAS.The work is structured around four objectives: (i) developing advanced laboratory workflows for quantitative analysis, (ii) applying wide screening for pharmaceuticals and environmental contaminants, (iii) using machine learning to prioritise chemicals and assess combined effects, and (iv) building physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to evaluate health risks, supported by a placement at the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.By combining analytical chemistry, computational modelling with PBPK, and regulatory relevance, MATREEX will generate new evidence on maternal-to-infant chemical transfer. The results will help guide safer use of medicines during breastfeeding, inform public health policy, and provide new tools for exposure science. The project directly contributes to the Horizon Europe Work Programme objectives of advancing environmental health research, reducing health inequalities, and strengthening Europe’s capacity in women’s and children’s health.