Spatiotemporal patterns of the pregnancy microbiome and links to reproductive disorders.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Meta-analysis of observational cohort and cross-sectional microbiome datasets
PubMed 38388298 · doi:10.1016/j.scib.2024.02.001
What was done
The authors conducted a meta-analysis compiling and analyzing microbiome profiles from >10,000 samples across the gut, vagina, and oral cavity of pregnant women from diverse geographical regions to evaluate taxonomic, functional, and ecological dynamics across gestation and their links to pregnancy complications.
What was found
The abstract reports qualitative observations without specific quantitative metrics or effect estimates. The gut microbiota exhibited distinct trajectories between Western and non-Western populations. The vaginal microbiota showed fluctuating transitions at the genus level across gestation, whereas the oral microbiota was relatively stable. In pregnancy-related disorders, opposite variations were observed between oral and gut microbiota in gestational diabetes, and disrupted microbial networks were observed in preterm birth.
Why it matters
This study provides an integrated multi-site reference atlas of maternal microbiome remodeling across pregnancy, highlighting population differences and site-specific dysbiosis patterns in gestational diabetes and preterm birth.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values. It reports sample count (>10,000) rather than individual participant counts. Being an aggregation of observational datasets across diverse regions, results are subject to confounding by geographical, lifestyle, and technical variations.
Cited by
- supports Microorganisms residing in the gut, vaginal microbiome, and mouth shape human reproductive health.