Maternal gut microbiota reflecting poor diet quality is associated with sPTB

The study conducted comparative analysis in case-control datasets on the data of fecal gut microbiota, fecal and plasma metabolites, and diet in the late second trimester. Results: 1) A decrease in α-diversity was strongly associated with the development of SPTB, especially in the taxonomic class of Betaproteobacteria. 2) Of 824 fecal metabolites, 22 metabolites (mostly lipids) differed between cases and controls (P < 0.01). The most significant fecal metabolite module (FDR-adjusted P = 0.008) was dominated by DHA and EPA. 3) A low-fiber, high-fat diet in the late second trimester is strongly associated with the development of SPTB. Conclusions: Reduced α-diversity of the gut microbiota and higher excretion of omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids in stool may provide a novel biomarker signature predicting SPTB in women with a low-fiber, high-fat diet. Further investigation of these markers in a larger sample is needed for validation