Studies to date demonstrated the relatedness of mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement of pregnant women to their anthropometry/weight. Hence, the objective was to determine whether maternal MUAC at different gestational age predicted birthweight, and if so, to identify which cut‐offs provided the best prediction of low birthweight (LBW) in pregnant women cohort. A total of 928 pregnant women, free of any obstetrical and medical complications known to affect fetal growth, were followed from 20 to 24 weeks' gestation till delivery. Weight, height, and MUAC were determined for the pregnant women, and gestational age along with newborns anthropometry was collected. The mean birthweight was 2.6 ± 0.460 kg. Maternal age, height, weight, MUAC (three time points), gestational age at delivery, and post‐natal weight showed positive correlation with birthweight, crown heel length, and head circumference of the neonates. The cut‐off limit with the best sensitivity–specificity (54.0 and 59.8, respectively) for MUAC was 23 cm, whereas maternal weight of 55 kg had sensitivity and specificity of 62.5 and 59.9 for predicting LBW. Maternal weight of 55 kg and MUAC value of 23 cm had almost similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting LBW. MUAC (≤23 cm) can be considered as a potential indicator of LBW where weighing of pregnant women is not feasible or when presentation for antenatal care is late, especially where pre‐pregnancy weights are not available.

Background & objectives: The vaginal microbiota undergoes subtle changes during pregnancy and may affect several aspects of pregnancy outcomes. There has been no comprehensive study characterizing the gestational vaginal and gut microbiota and the dynamics of the microbiota with oral probiotics among Indian women. Hence, the study was aimed to explore the microbiota of pregnant women with normal microbiota and bacterial vaginosis (BV) environments and the effect of oral probiotics on the microbiota and the BV status in these women. Methods: Using high-throughput Illumina-MiSeq sequencing approach, the 16S rRNA gene amplicons were analyzed and the vaginal and gut microbiota of pregnant women with and without BV and pre- and post-probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14) intervention for a month was characterized. Results: The study revealed a compositional difference in the vaginal and gut microbiota between BV and healthy pregnant women. The vaginal microbiota of healthy women was characteristically predominated by Lactobacillus helveticus, followed by L. iners and L. gasseri; in contrast, women positive for BV harboured higher α-diversity and had lower abundance of L. helveticus. Similarly, Prevotella copri, a gut microbe, associated with normal environment was detected in the vaginal samples of all pregnant women without BV, it remained undetected in women with the infection, while all women with BV had Gardnerella vaginalis, which decreased significantly with probiotic treatment. Gut microbiota also revealed dominant abundance of P. copri in healthy women, whereas it was significantly lower in women with BV. The bacterial clade, P. copri abundance increased from 9.17 to 16.49 per cent in the probiotic group and reduced from 7.75 to 4.84 per cent in the placebo group. Interpretation & conclusions: This study showed gestational vaginal and gut microbiota differences in normal and BV environments. With probiotic treatment, the dynamics of L. helveticus and P. copri hint towards a possible role of probiotics in modulating the vaginal microbiota.

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Background & objectives: Lactobacilli species that are better adapted to vaginal environment of women may colonize better and offer protection against vaginal pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the distribution of common Lactobacillus species was investigated in pregnant women. Methods: Sixty seven pregnant women were included in the study and vaginal samples were collected for Gram staining. Women were classified as normal vaginal flora, intermediate flora and bacterial vaginosis (BV) based on Nugent's score. Vaginal samples were also collected for the identification of Lactobacillus spp. by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) profiling of 16S rDNA amplification method. Results: Lactobacillus crispatus (100%) was the most predominant Lactobacillus spp. present in pregnant women with normal flora, followed by L. iners (77%), L. jensenii (74%) and L. helveticus (60%). While, L. iners was commonly present across groups in women with normal, intermediate or BV flora, L. crispatus, L. jensenii and L. helveticus decreased significantly as the vaginal flora changed to intermediate and BV. In women with BV, except L. iners other species of lactobacilli was less frequently prevalent. Species such as L. rhamnosus, L. fermentum, L. paracasei and L. casei were not detected in any vaginal sample. Interpretation & conclusions: L. crispatus, L. jensinii and L. helveticus were predominant species in women with normal flora. L. crispatus alone or in combination with L. jensinii and L. helveticus may be evaluated for probiotic properties for the prevention and treatment of BV.