Evidence mapPaperPMID 42385362Full record

ArticleThe journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research2026

Vaginal Microbiome and Preterm Birth in Pregnant Women From India.

Abhishek Singh, Karisma Chhabria, Neerja Vashist, Salomi Singh, Garima Suneja, Shradha Khater, Amrita Rao, Chandrasekar Arigela, Akib Kamani, Gautam Das and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Abhishek SinghDepartment of Microbiology, MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai, India.
Karisma ChhabriaMolecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mumbai, India.
Neerja VashistMolecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mumbai, India.
Salomi SinghDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9438-4599
Garima SunejaMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Shradha KhaterMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Amrita RaoMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Chandrasekar ArigelaMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Akib KamaniMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Gautam DasMibiome Therapeutics LLP, Mumbai, India.
Atahar HuseinMolecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mumbai, India.
Anant Dattatray UrehekarDepartment of Microbiology, MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai, India.
Sushil KumarDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Navi Mumbai, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2478-2727
Deepak ModiMolecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Mumbai, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePreterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, with India alone contributing nearly 27% of the global PTB burden. Although alterations in the vaginal microbiome have been implicated in PTB, its association in the Indian context is underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the association of the vaginal microbiome and PTB in Indian women at the time of delivery. STUDY

designThe vaginal swabs were collected at the time of delivery from 72 women (31 term, 41 preterm) admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Western India. Microbial DNA was extracted, and the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. Community composition, alpha and beta diversity, and differential taxonomic abundance were assessed using bioinformatics pipelines.

resultsThere were no significant differences in alpha or beta diversity between term and preterm groups. Principal coordinate and unsupervised clustering analyses showed no group-wise segregation. The relative abundance of individual Lactobacillus species, including L. iners and L. helveticus, did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, a modest difference in the relative abundance of Streptococcus was observed between the two groups after adjustment.

conclusionThis study found no major microbial shifts in the vaginal microbiome associated with preterm birth in this cross-sectional cohort of Indian women, suggesting that vaginal dysbiosis at the time of delivery may not be a principal driver of PTB in this population. These findings underscore the need for larger, longitudinal, and ethnically diverse studies using standardized methodologies better to understand the microbiome's role in PTB risk.

Indexed as

MicrobiotaPremature BirthVaginaAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIndiaLactobacillusPregnancyYoung Adultbacteriadysbiosislactobacillusprematurestreptococcus

Identifiers

PMID42385362
PMCPMC13349522

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.