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Updated: Oct 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Revolutionizing Research on Vaginal Microbiome Interactions Using a Vaginal Chip
Published on: February 16, 2024
The role of the microbiome in pregnancy
Objective:
To provide a comprehensive overview of the available information on the maternal microbio-me and its effect on pregnancy and preterm birth.
Methods:
Systematic review of available literature on the topic was done using the PubMed database.
Conclusion:
Etiology of preterm labor is multifactorial. Individual setting of humoral and cellular immune response is key; however, lately the focus has shifted to the role of the microbio-me, especially the vaginal one. The role of additional microbio-mes and the relationship between different compartments are the focus of intensive research. Mainly the differences in the maternal and neonatal microbio-me depend on the method of delivery and administration of different antibio-tics during pregnancy and labor. The uterine cavity is no longer thought to be without colonization and the formation of the fetal microbio-me begins early in pregnancy.
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