A study published in BJOG investigated the differences in vaginal microbiome between preterm and term deliveries. Ninety-four cases with spontaneous preterm birth (17 early (<34 wk) and 77 late (34-36 wk) preterm birth) and 356 controls with term delivery (≥37 wk) were included in the study. The main outcome measures included comparison of relative abundance of bacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and oligotypes and identification of vaginal community state types (CSTs) in early or late spontaneous preterm and term deliveries. Lactobacillus gasseri/L. johnsonii, L. crispatus (99%)/L. acidophilus (99%), L. iners (99%)/Ralstonia solanacearum (99%) and Bifidobacterium longum/Bifidobacterium breve were found to be associated with decreased risk of early but not late preterm birth. Six vaginal CSTs were identified: four dominated by Lactobacillus; one CST with presence of bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria (Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae and Veillonellaceae bacterium) (CST IV); and one CST with non-dominance of Lactobacillus (CST VI). CST IV was associated with increased risk of early but not late preterm birth, compared to CST VI. The study concluded that L. gasseri/L. johnsonii, L. crispatus/L. acidophilus, L. iners/Ralstonia solanacearum and Bifidobacterium longum/Bifidobacterium breve may be associated with decreased risk of early preterm birth. A BV-related vaginal CST vs. a CST non-dominated by Lactobacillus appeared to be associated with increased risk of early preterm birth.