Article highlights

• Breastfeeding is beneficial for both newborn and his mother, although BM components and their properties are not fully understood;

• Metabolomics provides a complete and dynamic analysis of BM samples, obtained in a noninvasive way;

• Such technology allows a full characterization of BM and determination of its variations over lactation stages;

• Metabolomics allows the comprehension of maternal factors affecting BM composition;

• The characterization of BM metabolome in each category of newborns allows the comprehension of milk variations in more vulnerable patients;

• Metabolomics can describe the effects of BM components on gut microbiome of breastfed infant;

• Metabolomics can compare BM, FM and other kinds of milk, allowing the realization of improved formulas;

• Interesting findings are also reported in animal or in vitro models, suggesting ideas for future research;

• BM contaminants, adulterants, drugs or the levels of micronutrients can be detected;

• Metabolomic analysis can describe the effects of several treatments on milk samples;

• BM metabolomics can be correlated with several neonatal or infantile outcomes;

• The contemporary analysis of more biofluids from the same subject can detect the direct effects of nutrition on neonatal metabolome;

• An integrated approach based on the combination of several techniques could be useful;

• New approaches or more innovative techniques will improve the accuracy of BM analysis.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.