Distinct microbial signatures in the vaginal microbiota associated with recurrent preterm birth: a prospective cohort study

This prospective longitudinal study characterizes vaginal microbial features linked to recurrent spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in East Asian women. Vaginal swabs from 23 multiparous women were collected in the second trimester and pre-labor for microbial profiling using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify predictive microbial signatures associated with sPTB recurrence.